Deception
by Raven Young
Summary: Illegal genetic experimentation. Child kidnapping. A 20 year old incurable pandemic. Deaths and murder attempts. A worldwide business enterprise. FBI. Not to mention all the masked men and crazy scientists. When everything comes together and everyone has something to hide, can anyone find the truth behind the masquerade? /formerly known as Alone/
1. Prologue

**I'm fiddling around with the summary and title to make it fit better. There will be some edits in the first few chapters.**

 **Title: Deception**

 **Full Summary: The world sees him as a businessman, but beneath the surface nobody knows what Sasuke has done. Gaara was supposed to be a loving elder brother, but leaving your little sister to fend for herself on an isolated beach doesn't exactly count as loving, does it? Naruto seems to be everyone's favourite cheesy idiot- but he knows far more than he would ever care to let on. Itachi is supposed to be a movie director- but he is far more connected than anyone can imagine. And Hinata? Well you know what they say - it's always the quiet ones. Even Tenten has something she's not told anyone. Sakura is an elite FBI agent, but even she doesn't know the whole truth about herself. When everything comes together and everyone has something to hide, can anyone find the truth behind the masquerade?**

 **Genre: Romance/Crime**

 **Hope you read on...**

 **~Raven**

* * *

~Prologue~

13th December, 2019, Lost Coast, California

 _It was a winter evening._

 _The sun was setting over the horizon._

 _Waves lapped against the soft, black sand._

 _The sky and sea merged somewhere in the horizon, above hung an orange glowing orb suspended in the sky._

 _A small trail of footprints traced the sand where the water met land. Side by side, a trail of larger footprints followed._

 _They led to a girl with flowing hair. She frolicked happily in the waves, a euphoric smile on her face. Her hair was bleached by the light of the fading sun._

 _Standing a little away, watching the girl with a tender gaze, stood a boy, a few years older than the girl.  
_

 _Walking back to the boy, the girl smiled looking up at him._

 _The boy put his hand on her head, and she hugged him tightly._

 _A soft sigh, a light, small, feminine voice,_

 _"I'm so happy. We're safe. And I'm still with you."_

 _The boy's red hair appeared black in the light of the setting sun._

 _"Sakura…" he breathed her name, hugging her close to him, sighing deeply. He was accepting an unavoidable fate.  
_

 _"If I could…I would give you the world."_

 _She pulled away from him only to look up at his face with a happy smile. "But you already have." Her voice was quiet and content. And she spoke the truth. He was her world._

 _The boy frowned slightly._

 _"Sakura?" his voice was barely above a whisper._

 _"Yes?" she was blissfully unaware of his serious tone._

 _"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll never use your ability to harm anyone else."_

 _She didn't understand why he was saying that then, but it was something that they had decided on a long time ago._

 _"I promise."_

 _Anything to keep a smile on his face._

 _"Brother?"_

 _"Yes,"_

 _"I love you." She hugged him once again. And they stood there for a while._

 _He paused for a while, placing his hand protectively on her head, "As do I you."_

 _She did not love him like a woman loves a man._

 _He did not love her like a man loves a woman._

 _He loved her as a brother did a sister._

 _And she loved him as a sister did her brother._

 _And it was enough for them._

 _It was the only love they needed._

* * *

17th December, 2019.

 _It was midnight._

 _A small house stood alone._

 _Moonlight poured through the windows, falling on the wooden floors._

 _Four hooded figures stood in the room, surrounding a fifth person._

 _The fifth person was a boy with red hair._

 _A girl with pink hair slept peacefully, only a floor above._

 _One of the hooded figures stepped towards the boy in the middle._

 _Roughly pushing the boy forward, he bound his arms behind his back._

 _Another man came forward and put a bag over his face._

 _More people bound him together so he was unable to escape._

 _They left the house with him in tow._

 _Not a word was exchanged._

 _Nor did the boy struggle in the least._

 _Almost as though he knew they were coming._

 _And yet he did nothing to escape._

 _Next to the bed in which his sister slept, a glass of water was half empty._

 _And she would not know about the sleeping pills._

 _They had been dissolved in her water before she drank it._

* * *

18th December, 2019

 _She was alone this time._

 _She stood alone, her feet submerged in water._

 _The trail of footprints leading along the water's edge was alone this time._

 _The girl stood facing the horizon, watching the setting sun._

 _She looked serene._

 _Calm._

 _But her overwhelming emotion was betrayed by her quivering voice._

 _"Y-you haven't gone anywhere, have you?"_

 _She closed her eyes._

 _"You're going to be in the house when I get back, right?"_

 _Her voice was almost desperate._

 _"I'm going to turn around right now, and you're going to be there, right Brother?"_

 _She took a deep breath and turned to face the hills behind her._

 _Nobody was there._

 _Tears which she had been trying to withhold now ran freely down her cheeks._

 _They dripped off her chin, mingling with the sand around her feet._

 _With another deep breath she started sobbing uncontrollably._

 _She fell to her knees, black sand sticking to her knees._

 _And she lay there sobbing as the sun set._

 _The softened orange glow of the sun fell on her back, and her bare neck._

 _She was so fragile._

 _Like a porcelain doll._

 _Which had finally broken._

* * *

1st January, 2020

 _She knew not where he had gone..._

 _She knew not why or how he had left her..._

 _Not aware of if he was safe, or happy to leave, or even dead..._

 _But she knew that she had not been betrayed..._

 _And as she watched the sun rise of a new year_

 _Her resolve was set_

 _She would become strong_

 _Strong enough to stand without her precious brother_

 _And strong enough to find him again_

 _And she would definitely find him again_

 _The colours of the morning sun bathed her face in a soft yellow glow._

 _No trace of tears_

 _Her face was calm_

 _The only trace of sadness lay in her eyes_

 _They were not the eyes of an innocent child  
_

 _They were windows to the sadness of her soul_

 _And she was all alone._

~End of Prologue~

* * *

 **And in case you're wondering, it _is_ a Sasusaku, so just wait for the next chapter, to let their story begin!**

 **~Raven**


	2. Descent

**Since this theme seems to be popular, I'm gonna write another chapter. Hope it meets if not exceeds the standard of the first one! And in case you didn't pay attention to the dates, this is about 12 years after the prologue.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Only my OCs and the story plot.**

* * *

19th April 2032, San Fransisco, California

Sasuke Uchiha was a powerful man.

This was the thought that had crossed his mind as he sat in his office on the top floor of a 57 floor skyscraper.

The skyscraper happened to be the main building of an important company.

One of the richest companies in the world, the Uchiha Corporation was one of the leading medicinal drug manufacturing companies in the world. And it had further branched into other businesses as well.

And that was only what happened on the surface.

Needless to say, the head of said company would be _very_ rich. And powerful.

And Sasuke Uchiha was indeed the head of said company.

Coupling his fortune with his drop dead gorgeous looks, he was much sought after by people all over the country. And the world.

Yes, suffice to justify, Sasuke Uchiha was definitely a powerful man.

And he had had a _very_ bad day.

To start with, first thing in the morning, he had to forcibly remove the gaggle of reporters from the building.

Next came the long stream of appointments taken by incessant business with silly propositions and marketing schemes- he had ultimately rejected all of them.

His lunch break had been rudely interrupted by a certain blonde idiot crashing into his office with a large pile of unwanted administrative paper work.

And not to mention, his afternoon had been wasted sorting out the mess that had been caused in the marketing department by yet another idiot, this one an antisocial lunatic.

And he wanted nothing more than to recline in his chair and get some much needed sleep...

But, much to his chagrin, his work was far from finished.

Taking out his phone, he dialed the first number on his contact list. 'Naruto Uzumaki'.

"What is it, Teme?"

The blonde's obnoxious voice came out of the phone.

"Wrap things up over here. I need to go below."

He could almost hear the blonde's annoyance.

"Why can't I go instead?" He whined.

Sasuke sighed with exasperation "Because you don't know about everything down there. But I do."

"Well, you never tell me anything! How am I supposed to know?"

He brought a hand to his temples. At times like this, even a conversation with him was enough to bring on a headache. "Naruto, Just get your lazy ass over here."

He hung up, muttering, "Trust me, you don't want to know."

The Uchiha Corporation as a drug distributor was just a front. Below, the amount of activities which took place in the basement which spanned 50 acres of land and 52 floors, were innumerable, some legal, and some not.

Experimentation and development did not at all adhere to the limitations of medicinal drugs. The human test subjects were not legally obtained, and many of the discoveries put into use there were not even known to the outside world. There _was_ a greater objective at the root...but that wasn't even known to the majority of the workers. Sasuke was the head of the Uchiha Corporation. He was also the head of the criminal network as well. A well hidden mastermind, nobody would ever trace it back to him.

Naruto knew the on the surface operations of the underground layout. He wasn't openly aware of the illegal aspect of those activities. Not that it would make a difference. His loyalties were undivided and would remain that way irrespective of the nature of the activities Sasuke was involved in.

Sighing, he gave up on waiting for Naruto, he would come along eventually.

He walked to the closest elevator, punching in the user specific password which activated a facial scan of the user, which then opened a panel which revealed the floor map of the basement floors. He pressed the button for his destination floor- 51.

The second last floor, it contained the holding cells.

He walked to the last door in the corridor which the elevator opened into, and completed the numerous security procedures and identifications.

A guard arrived to escort him through the door, into a series of corridors, eventually leading to a steel door.

The numbers above the door read '015'. Nothing of particular significance, but what the casual observer wouldn't have known was that the door, like all the other doors on that floor, was so well guarded that even the slightest sign of a forced opening would floor the chambers with a highly neurotoxic gas within the chamber, while a high voltage electrical circuit would electrocute anyone who touched the floor of the corridor, walls, ceiling and any part of the room within.

Bypassing the security, he dismissed the guard and walked in.

The room was fairly well lit and hospitable, especially for a captive.

The man who was sitting in a chair central to the room held a book in his hands. It was one of the few items permitted for him to possess.

His red hair, once short and spiky, now hung limply around his face.

"Play a game of Chess with me." Sasuke said, approaching the man.

Jade orbs glared at him. "What do you want, Uchiha?"

Sasuke laughed and said coolly, "That's hardly a way to address a person who could have you killed on a whim."

"I grow tired of captivity. What else is there for me to live for anyway?"

Sasuke sat down in the chair opposite him, a table between the two.

"Perhaps your sister?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Gaara looked at him menacingly. "If you dare touch her.." He half growled.

"You have no way of stopping me. Like I said, I can have you killed just like that..." he said, snapping his fingers.

Gaara glowered back at him.

"Your sister has given us quite a lot of trouble." Sasuke said, throwing a file of records on the table. "Take a look at them."

Gaara placed his book on the table and opened the file. Pictures, report cards, résumés, police records, various copies of certificates and achievements, and even bank statements. All with one factor in common: They entailed the life of Sakura Haruno.

He stared at the paperwork in hand, his touch lingering on a most recent photograph of hers. His gaze lonely, and wistful. Almost longing. His sister was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. And so much of her life had gone on without his presence, while he rot in a cell she didn't even know existed.

Looking up at the person sitting opposite him, he asked, "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Don't take such things for granted. Why don't you actually read what's written on it. You may be a lot of things, but uneducated is not one of them." Sasuke snapped.

Gaara started with a document of adoption which lay at the bottom of the records, and looked through all of the papers- she had graduated as a top of her class- a position tied with three others having a perfect score. Her physical and co scholastic fields were in perfect state too. And her desired stream of occupation: the federal bureau. And, looking at the further papers, it seemed that that was exactly what she had done. Now a special agent in a specified team,assistant head, she had escalated to one of the elite in a period of two years. Gaara looked in shock at the records before him.

A strange warm feeling came over him- one that he had not experienced in a long time. It was pride. Pride for his sister, and the woman she had become. How much of her life had he missed out on? How much had she changed? Was she still the blissfully innocent girl he had left behind? Most certainly not. But how much of her had been scarred by his sudden disappearance? He experienced yet another long diminished emotion: guilt. Guilt for not being there for her as she grew older. Guilt for allowing himself to be taken without her knowing.

"How is this trouble for you?" He spat out.

He handed the redhead another file.

"The latest mission her unit undertook was one brushing dangerously close to our operation. And it seems that she wants to push it."

Gaara glared at him and said, "Why are you even telling me this?"

"Because, depending on how things escalate, we may have use for you yet. Get ready to do more than sit in this cell. No matter how you despise us, willingly or unwillingly, you will help us. "

* * *

His bedroom was darkly lit when Sasuke finally retired to it for the night.

There was a second presence in his room, but he felt no immediate reason to address his guest. Leisurely walking to his dresser, he switched into more comfortable clothing.

As he closed the window, which had previously been wide open, he asked, "How bad is the threat to our intelligence?"

The unknown person said, in a deep masculine voice, "Not very high. Yet. But I _did_ get a chance to examine the girl."

"And?"

"From the looks of it, very few things could help us recapture her without a trace."

Sasuke smirked, "I guess that means it will be more of a challenge. We can"

He left the room, only to return in a minute.

By the time he returned, the room was pitch black. The only light entering the room was a sliver of moonlight entering through the window, it's panes once again flapping in the wind.

* * *

 **So! Tell me what you think. And yes, if you haven't guessed yet, it is a Sasusaku one. But there's much more to it than that. I'd like to see what kind of guesses you guys can come up with though...**

 **That's all for now. Thanks for reading!**

 **~Raven**


	3. Tea and Cookies

**A big thanks to all the viewers and reviewers!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, that privilege lies with Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

20th April, 2032, FBI, San Fransisco Division

The communications liaison placed a large file atop supervisory special agent's desk.

The pink haired woman looked away from the file which she had been absorbed in reading, asking, "And what is this?"

Hinata averted her eyes from her friends annoyed glare, "Umm...i-it's some stuff we need to look into before we can formally start a full on investigation of that case."

Sakura was nice, but she could be very scary when something interrupted her concentration.

"Is it related to the case? At all?" piercing emerald eyes fell upon her.

"Umm...not really?"

The silver eyed woman winced winced in anticipation for the temper which was bound to ensue.

Surprisingly, it didn't.

Sakura had picked up the file and was reading through it. "Do we _really_ have to do this? I thought that this case was top priority..."

Hinata knew all too well that that the case they were currently involved with gave Sakura a personal reason to finish the investigation as soon as possible. Some of the circumstances brought back ghosts of things Sakura did not want to remember...

"It _is_ top priority. That's why they've already started the investigation. But they needed to clear this stuff early, and they told me to choose one person to come with me and wrap things up by today."

Sakura's gaze softened- only slightly- and said, "And you felt most comfortable with me."

"Well, I didn't know who else I could ask who wouldn't be mad at me for making them do it..." Hinata was always careful to try not to anger people.

Sakura flicked through a few more of the documents in the file, and got up saying, "If we hurry, we can finish this stuff before noon and meet up with our unit after lunch."

* * *

It had been years since Sakura had left the house she occupied with her brother. With what little savings she had, she managed to make her way to San Francisco, the largest city nearby. From there, she wound up in a lower end orphanage, with not the best conditions for growing kids. But that had not been the end of the road for her then. A series of both good and bad events led to her ultimate adoption with the Hyuga, who had a penchant for adopting strays. Aside from their own daughters Hinata and Hanabi, as well as their orphaned nephew Neji, the Hyuga household was home to two other orphans, with Sakura joining their ranks as the third. And that began her high school journey of ups and downs, friends and foes, and eventually, a position as one of the elite on a specified task force in one of the most crime infested cities in the country. San Francisco may or may not have been a safe place to live twenty years ago, but it certainly wasn't now. And Sakura's position in the elite unit of the San Francisco division of the FBI was, as she had wanted to be, strong.

Albeit, almost everyone from the Hyuga family was part of the FBI or national intelligence. It was a family occupation. Sakura's team consisted of Unit Chief Neji Hyuga, special agents Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, and Arisa Tsutsugami, Technical analyst Shikamaru Nara, communications liaisons Hinata Hyuga and Choji Akimichi, and herself, the assistant chief. Their team answered directly to the national headquarters. Which is why it was incredibly frustrating to have to deal with low level petty investigations while the rest of their team assigned themselves to the important missions.

Which brings us to their current location, the ground floor of the Uchiha Corporation, in the waiting lounge.

"The stupid man has the gall to make us wait! For over an hour! We, the FBI!" Sakura hissed. Hinata tried to calm her, but it wasn't working very well. Luckily, Sakura had enough tact not to make a scene of it. She was, after all, a trained agent. Their tasks had brought them to the Uchiha Corporation to meet with the elusive Sasuke Uchiha.

"They said he won't be long now." Hinata supplied.

"You'd think an internationally known business man would know better than to keep government officials waiting!" she scowled.

A secretary stepped into the foyer and said, "Mr Uchiha will see you now. Follow me."

"Finally!" Sakura muttered under her breath, her voice laced with sarcasm, as she walked in the direction the woman had gone.

Hinata silently followed.

The elevator had delivered them to the top floor, where they were led to a polished steel door with no ornamentation, or label. It seemed unarmed, but both agents could tell that it was probably armed in a hundred different ways. High standing gentlemen such as the one they were about to meet, liked to keep their secrets well hidden.

They entered the room, to find a tanned man with short spiky black hair and black eyes with three whisker like markings on each of his cheeks and a ridiculously cheesy smile on his face, sitting at the desk with his feet propped up on the table, revealing polished leather shoes.

Sakura looked uncertainly at Hinata- the man seemed to be a complete idiot. Hinata, however, seemed to not be immediately repulsed by this strange man. Rather the look on her face was...something of attraction? God forbid...

"Good morning, I am N-Sasuke Uchiha!" he announced in an obnoxiously overenthusiastic voice.

"Do you mean to say you are 'not Sasuke Uchiha'?" Sakura asked. There had to be some mistake. Either that, or the police records had not been updated in a long time.

"No! I am he in the flesh! Believe it! Take a seat!"

He gestured dramatically to the two seats in front of them. Hinata sat down while Sakura remained standing.

"That will not be necessary. We only require a few minutes. Ironically, we had to wait for over an _hour_ to get those five minutes. You realize that it is not wise to aggravate the law."

The man looked uncertainly at the agent in front of him. "Oh yeah...sorry about that. But please, stay a little longer than five minutes. Just because you're here on business doesn't mean that you can't have any fun."

"No, we can't. As we have at least some sense of professionalism."

He looked at her as though unsure how one could separate 'professionalism' from 'fun'.

"Umm...Sakura, why don't we sit down and have some tea. I don't think it would do too much harm..." Hinata said.

Sakura looked at Hinata as though she were looking at her for the first time. But nonetheless, she chose to take a seat. A knock on the door followed and man with black hair and pale white skin walked in carrying a tray. Sakura and Hinata didn't catch the look exchanged between the two men, as the new entrant set the tray- which was carrying a large teapot and three cups, and a plate of cookies- on the table, and then left.

The man, who still had his feet on the table, said, "That's good! That was Sai with the tea! Now we can enjoy a snack and get down to business! Ugh...'business'. I hate that word." he made a gagging motion and Hinata giggled. Even Sakura couldn't fully suppress the urge to laugh at his antics.

The man chose to remove his feet from the table, and in one sweeping motion, knocked half of the paperwork off the table, along with the tray of snacks. The teapot and cups all crashed into a nasty puddle on the floor, the pot of sugar emptying onto Hinata along with a pool of milk and several cookies.

* * *

Naruto knew that he would be in trouble from the moment he received a call from Sasuke early in the morning saying that urgent business in the basement floors would keep him out of the office throughout the morning. Namely, the trouble he had in mind at that point would be that he would have no time to goof around, as he was second in command.

But when he was informed that FBI agents had come in the morning seeking to make inquiries about recent shipments out of the country, he was almost in a state of panic. How the heck was he supposed to know that there would be FBI agents involved? He didn't want to spend his life in jail...

So his first plan of action had been to make them wait for a long time until they gave up and went away. But _no_ , that didn't work. If it had been him in their shoes he would have waited for like two minutes then lost patience and decided to come back another day.

Then, when it had been a good hour and thirty minutes after them coming, when he found out that they had still not left, he upped his game. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He procured a wig of short, Sasuke -like hair, and black, Sasuke- like contact lenses, and even traded his orange jacket for a black suit and trainers for leather formal shoes. And then, he turned himself into Sasuke Uchiha! Even his voice matched! Sort of. And his attitude was fine too! He kept his feet on the table! Just like how Sasuke would. Although he hadn't actually seen Sasuke put his feet on the table before. Ever.

He was a bit surprised when he found the FBI agents to be two cute girls with odd hair colors, but he didn't let it show. He tended to take things like that in his stride. He _did_ apologize for making them late, and when they started talking, (okay, it was more of the pink one being stubborn and the shy one being shy), he decided that he liked them. They were nice. And they laughed at the things he said. Which was more than Sasuke ever did. At least, the purple one laughed. And her laugh was nice too...

But they hadn't suspected that he wasn't Sasuke Uchiha. That was perfect!

But he was really scared at what they would say when he accidentally knocked over the tray of snacks on top of the purple haired one. For starters, he knew that you should never, _ever_ throw or drop food on someone else. Unless that someone was Sasuke. And secondly, the glares he was getting from the pink haired girl now made his hairs stand on edge...

He looked from the puddle on the floor, to the papers scattered everywhere, to the paperwork that had been drenched in tea, to the disheveled mess on the table, to the purple haired woman covered in milk and sugar, to the pink haired woman who was seething with rage as she rushed over to her companion, to the door, as he considered making a run for it.

Suddenly, the door was thrust open, and, walking as though he owned the place, which he did, entered Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

 **Even I can't help laughing when I read parts of this chapter. It doesn't do much for the story plot, but it does introduce some key characters.**

 **For the record, I know that there were many ways for Naruto to handle the situation without dressing up as Sasuke, but this was the funniest. And most fun to write ;-)**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Raven**


	4. Speechless

**A/n: Thanks to all of my diligent followers! Love your support. Seems like the last chapter wasn't as popular as the last one though.  
**

 **On a different note, I'm changing the rating to T seeing as nothing written so far satisfies the M rating. But I may bump it back up to M later on...and I will not let Sakura and Sasuke's relation be taken lightly...**

 **Updated 30th June: There was a small mistake in this chapter which was just pointed out to me, I've now rectified it.**

 **One last thing: Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, although I wish I do.**

* * *

20th April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation main office, 57th Floor

Sasuke stared at the catastrophe in front of him. Speechless.

Understand this, it was an incredibly rare occurrence for he, Sasuke Uchiha, to be stunned into silence.

But, looking at the black haired idiot- _what happened to the blonde hair?!_ \- in a _suit_ of all things, wearing Sasuke's shoes, with black contact lenses, sitting at Sasuke's desk, with tea and food all over the floor, and all of his documents on the floor, he was quite confounded. Not to mention, there were two federal agents in his office, both of whom he recognized, and one who he was planning on making the acquaintance of later that day. And the former was covered in milk. And sugar.

It took him a good couple of minutes to properly register the scene of utter absurdity before him, and his instant conclusion was to blame Naruto. Turning to the formerly blonde idiot, he glared and hissed, stressing on each word, "What-are-you-doing?!"

The formerly blonde idiot smiled like the fool he was and said, "N-Naruto! There you are! A-as you can see, t-there's been a small c-complication in the o-office! W-why don't y-you c-call S-sai in t-to solve t-this mess?"

Ah, so that was what had happened. Naruto must have decided to entertain these federal agents while he was otherwise occupied, and had thus chosen to role play as Sasuke. And now he was trying to pass him off as Naruto Uzumaki. But, this could be to his advantage. Even more so if said federal agents remained unaware of the fact that he was, in fact, Sasuke Uchiha.

The first of the agents, the one who was sitting covered in milk and sugar, was one of the Hyuga. Namely, Hinata Hyuga. He knew her by name, and recognized her by her silvery eyes, which were characteristic of the Hyuga family. She looked timid and unremarkable in the sense that she could pose no threat to him. He had doubts that she could even pose a threat to a _dog_ if she tried.

As for the other, her identity was quite obvious. Sakura Haruno. When Sasuke had first gone through her file, he had established her to be a good team player, whose analytic abilities, quick trained reflexes, intelligence, interrogative aptitude, quality leadership, and good intuition had led to a quickly obtained high success rate for her assignments. What the file had not prepared him for was her slight figure, flowing features, and delicate frame. The woman, at a glance, hardly looked capable of commanding an entire unit of specialized agents. But she exuded confidence, even as she fussed over her teammate's condition. Her demeanor was calm and stern, and the only hint of anger was on her face. She looked authoritative and on top of things, and though she did not look it, her mannerism showed that she was strong. The only thing which may be used as a weakness against her was her strong bond with her teammates. He considered it...intriguing.

Nonetheless, he decided that he could play along with Naruto's scheme for a little longer. It could work to his advantage. He nodded to Naruto and walked out the door to find Sai.

* * *

Sakura's first thought when the second man entered the room was, " _What is it with employees here having black hair and eyes?...Don't tell me it's like some sort of sick dress code..."_

Of course, the new arrival seemed to be a hapless idiot. He just stood there and stared agape at the situation. _Oh come on, it's just your boss with some police agents and a tray of food over the floor! What's there to be so surprised about? Especially if your boss was someone like the person Sasuke Uchiha seemed to be_...

Shortly after the new arrival, 'Naruto', had left the room, he returned with the man who had brought in the tea before, and two maids, one of which escorted Hinata to clean off the rest of her clothes.

That being sorted, while Sai tried to make some order out of the mess of tea drenched paperwork, Sakura prompted 'Sasuke', by asking, "So, coming back to the purpose of this visit. We wanted to know why the figures given on your initial report of the recent shipment out of the state do not match the actual recorded figures..."

She showed him a file which she had taken out of her bag, and pointed out the two sets of relevant figures. 'Sasuke' looked at it pensively for a few minutes and said, "I'm sure there was nothing wrong in the report from us. But, if you'll give me a moment, I'll have a quick look."

He looked through the mess of paperwork which was still on the table, and after several minutes of rummaging, he scratched the back of his head tentatively, and said, "I think it was somewhere in that mess that fell into the tea. We can get it fixed and stuff...but you'll need to come back later."

Sakura looked at him, a mixture of exasperated and anger as she considered beating him down for his rambunctious behavior. Ultimately, she considered against it as Hinata chose to re enter the room at that moment.

"What happened?" she asked softly approaching Sakura.

'Sasuke' explained why he was unable to help them, and Hinata erupted in peals of laughter, saying meekly, "You wouldn't have been in that trouble if you didn't put your feet on the table in the first place." she kept a jubilant smile on her face.

"I guess we have no choice but to clear this up later. We'll be back later." Sakura said, sighing, as she steered her friend outside.

Once outside, Sakura said, "Well, that was...weird. What do you think?"

Hinata sighed happily and half whispered half said, "He was so funny. Dreamy..."

And, she was off in her own fairy tail world.

"You're the only one who thinks that." Sakura added.

Hinata frowned, "Then, you don't like him?" She asked.

"The man's a complete idiot." She said indignantly, but, seeing Hinata's saddened expression, she added, "But, he is a nice person."

After they had left the building, Hinata added, "I hope we see him again soon..."

* * *

 **In case you didn't know, I quite support Naruhina. Although I do consider other pairings. Hope you liked it!**

 **And no, Sakura does not keep such a low opinion of Sasuke, and it will change quite soon.**

 **~Raven**


	5. Black sands

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews, and a big shout out to _Blueeyed Inalyi, Froggiebean, Lenaar, and Moon Tsukubame_ ,not to mention all of our guest viewers!**

 **Yeah, I guess I made Hinata a bit Ooc. Sorry about that, if you didn't like it. Heck, even _I_ didn't really like it. It wont happen again!**

 **And the question of Gaara being reunited will be dealt with as the story continues. There's a lot more to his disappearance...**

 **This Chapter: More Sasusaku action!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters, just the story plot and any accessory OCs.**

* * *

20th April, 2032, Housing apartment of Sasuke Uchiha, Time: 01.50 am.

Sasuke found himself standing on top of a cliff. The wind was unreasonably strong as it beat against his back, and the ground beneath his feet was unstable. A significantly threatening location, his first instinct was to take several steps away from the treacherous drop. But the wind beat against his back, almost forcing him toward the ledge.

Peering over, he looked down the length of the ledge. It was at least a sixty foot drop. Should he fall, he would meet certain, bloody, death on collision with the sand below.

Which brought his attention to the beach itself. The sand was as black as coal, and the seawater was crystal clear. It frothed and foamed as waves brushed against the shore.

There was one lone visitor to the beach.

A woman, he realized, swathed in white.

She walked, more like glided, over the water, the wind blowing her long, flowing hair around her face. Her hair danced around her face, playing with the wind, and appeared blonde in the dim light. The water droplets which hung around her reflected the softened light of the setting sun, which illuminated her figure in soft, yellow light. Her every move held an innate grace, and she flowed even more elegantly than the water which brushed against her feet. The white cloth she wore hugged her body- the slight dip of her shoulders, the slender gentleness of her arms, the curve of her hips, and the damp cloth of the skirt which hung around her legs.

She was beautiful. Breath taking. Even to he, who was unaffected and unattracted by women.

He found himself mesmerized as he watched her.

She turned around, and looked directly at him. As though she had known exactly where he was for the whole time.

Their eyes locked. Soft, wide, emerald, viridian green eyes locked on deep dark ebony. Her hair, he realised, was not blonde. It was the same hue which coloured the cherry blossoms in spring.

The woman looked at him unmovingly, slowly blinking a few times. Then, a slow, tantalizing smile spread on her lips. Her eyes, her smile, they beckoned to him. Asking him to come closer. They _knew_ him. And they accepted him nonetheless. She waved a small, delicate hand, and waved, laughing.

His presence made her happy, she felt safe. And surprisingly enough, Sasuke found himself believing the same of himself.

He felt himself stepping closer to the ledge, as though preparing to jump off and join her. He felt a strong, irrefutable need to be with her. To...,embrace her?

An electric jolt ran through him as he recognised her, and he cursed himself for having not realised sooner.

She was Sakura Haruno. His target. Or prey. The object of his desires- the last piece to complete the objective set by the one to whom be owed the Uchiha Corporation, and his own fortune.

Then why was _he_ of all people, having such thoughts concerning her?

Yet he felt another stirring within him. Something he could not place.

* * *

A cold, sharp object pressed against his throat and he felt himself painfully and drastically awoken from his slumber.

He was in his own room, and his own bed, in the dark of the night.

Distorted and confused, he sat up, running a hand through his hair. He had been dreaming? Absurd. Nonsensical. Why would _he,_ even think about dreaming about _her?_ His expression was one of contempt, as his lip curled in distaste.

He came to register the sharp knife pressed against his throat.

He sighed, took one glance at the open window, and then looked at the figure shrouded in darkness, who owned the hand which held the knife.

"It would be wise not to behead your only benefactor." He said dryly.

"It is also wise not to fall so deeply into your slumber that any man can attack you. I could have been an assassin sent to kill you."

"In the unlikely event that there actually was such an assassin, you would have dispatched of him before I could even awake." He said.

The other man was quiet for a few moments, before saying, "I heard about your...unusual acquaintance with the target today." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Word sure does spread quickly." He said, thinking for what must have been the thousandth time, how his sources were so accurate.

"It can be used to our advantage. Don't let her find out about your true identity. Even if it means that you have to dye your hair blonde and wear blue contact lenses."

Sasuke glared at him murderously and said, "This is going to take time. She is in an extremely well guarded position."

"Time is one thing we don't have much of. So I suggest we make our move."

"Soon."

The only trace that remained of such a meeting transpiring was the window, which slapped merrily against the soft wind as the sun rose.

* * *

 **Sorry if Sasuke seems a bit Ooc here. [remember, it's only a dream]**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Read, follow, favourite and Review!**

 **~Raven**


	6. Speechless Again

**Another chapter out and ready!**

 **In reply to** ** _Parichita_** **\- Thanks so much for your support and thanks for reading the link I sent you. It's 'cause of friends like you that I get the confidence to do crazy things like publish online stories. So this chapter's for you!**

 **Now on to the chapter! Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

21st April, 2032, FBI, San Fransisco division, Time: 06.45 am.

"The forensics reports have come out. I'm giving you each a copy. Have a look." Neji said, while handing the reports to Hinata to hand out.

Sakura took her own copy and skimmed through it. Whoever was responsible for this, they were complete sick maniacs. The complaint had initially gone to the police, when it was a case of children disappearing without a trace in the dead of the night from several orphanages owned by the Sahara group of real estate investment. All of the disappearances were either within the age group of 2-3 or from 12-14. At first the police investigation had drawn up a blank, while meanwhile more and more kids kept on disappearing. Kids disappearing without a trace? That very fact was enough to attract her attention. Her brother was fourteen when he disappeared. Another anomalous disappearance. But a recent development in the case had brought it to Sakura's team as a top priority. One of the first kids- a boy aged fourteen, name Yuan Lan, had reappeared. His body was found with multiple injuries and lacerations, and had been identified two days later. The forensics report, as Sakura now read, involved multiple organs being removed, and some toxic substances being introduced into his bloodstream. The toxins were still being identified, but the initial report was enough to know that they probably had a psychotic murderer on their hands.

She watched Hinata pale in horror as she read her own copy. Poor girl looked as though she were about to faint.

"Ugh...this guy is a sick turd!" Kiba growled, baring his teeth in rage.

"I think I'm gonna throw up all of the pancakes I ate this morning." Choji added.

"We can't let killers like that roam the streets." Hinata added.

Arisa, who stood next to Sakura, dragged her a little out of earshot. "Yesterday we started our investigation at the local police station which found the body. We interrogated the officers who brought the body in. Nothing useful showed up. The other places we tried were all dead ends."

"What about the company itself? Are we going to look into that?"

"Neji mentioned it, but the Sahara group is a respectable corporation. Headquarters in LA. I still don't have a good feeling about this..."

"But the report...you do know that there's another conclusion that we can draw from this."

"I do. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. This kid may as well have been a product of human experimentation." her expression was almost haunted. The very thought made Sakura feel nauseous as well.

Sakura looked at her friend's troubled expression. Her black hair was for once, tied away from her face in a messy pony tail. She had apparently not been sleeping well. "Neither do I...You've been losing sleep over this?" she asked.

"Sakura, the orphanage that kid lived at was the one where I used to live. Before I met Neji and the Hyuga took me in. Disappearances like this have happened before...but this is the first time any of the bodies were found. We have to find this and stop it soon. " She was evidently very upset about the whole state of affairs. Sakura knew that none of them held any love for the orphanages they had stayed at. And Arisa would likely never want to return to her old orphanage. She felt herself worry about her friend. She hadn't noticed her troubled expression the previous night, and that was concerning, considering that Arisa Ino and Hinata were as good as sisters to her. She pulled Arisa into a briefly comforting hug, and then rejoined their team.

"The kids started disappearing about four months ago...but the orphanage only filed the report one month prior to the discovery of the body. Shouldn't we look into that?" Sakura said, this time to the whole group.

"Well, we all know just how bad orphanage management is over here." Ino said back at her with a small laugh.

"It's still something we should look into. And we should interrogate the orphanage matrons. Kiba and Choji can visit the orphanage. Arisa, Hinata and I will go to the Sahara group headquarters." Neji said.

"And I'll take Ino and we'll check out the branch of said Sahara group which is closest to the site where the body was found." Sakura added.

"Tell Shikamaru to draw up the files for the relevant buildings. And the company records." Arisa said.

"Everyone clear?" Neji asked.

Everyone nodded, and they all dispersed.

* * *

21st April, 2032, Sunset District of California.

The Sahara group had 3 branch offices within San Francisco. The main branch office, which Neji, Arisa and Hinata were making an official visit to, was situated in the Financial district. But the one closest to where the body had been found was situated next to the Sunset reservoir. Twenty years ago, the Sunset reservoir was one of the three terminal water reservoirs of the city. Now, it had been expanded and built upon to the point that it consisted of multiple reservoirs completely separated from each other. Should any one reservoir become contaminated, the others would account for any lag in water distribution.

In other words, the Sahara group branch office was next to one of the smaller reservoirs that comprised the Reservoir as a whole.

And that was were Sakura and Ino found themselves forty minutes after they had left HQ. They had traded out their work attire for casual clothing. The plan was to go in as civilians to see what they could dig up.

Upon entering, they were greeted by by a desk secretary who directed them to an office on the ground floor. They were then greeted by a young, unremarkably scrawny man, who politely asked, "How may I help you?"

Ino stepped in to commence her roleplay, "Hi there! You see, my sister and I were hoping to make some investments in several of your projects, and we'd like you to run us through the procedures required, the paperwork, etc." There was a good reason why Ino headed all undercover operations. She was all for deception and disguise.

The man looked at them skeptically. "And by 'investments' how much were you planning on investing?"

So he was doubtful about their ability to invest? Not going to happen.

"It's not a question of how much we can afford to invest." Sakura said, her brows furrowed disdainfully, "It's more of a question of how much can _you_ afford to have us invest."

The man's eyebrows raised in surprise and he said, "I-I'll just go get some files to show you our various projects." he darted out of the room.

Once gone, Ino started laughing, "Good one Sakura! I knew I taught you well!"

Sakura ignored her comment and said, "I'm going to go check this place out. Keep the guy occupied. If anyone asks, I'm in the bathroom." She walked out of the room.

* * *

The lock to their main computer interface room was more than easy to pick, and the guards were knocked out without even knowing what hit them, but the mainframe had come up with nothing useful. There was a few suspicious areas, but most of the stuff which might've been relevant was locked away with passwords which Sakura couldn't hack. She did remotely link it with Shikamaru's computer, so he could look at it when he stopped sleeping on the job.

As she left the room, carefully putting the lock back in place, she saw two men walking out of a room two doors away from her. They were walking in the direction away from her, and she wouldn't even have noticed them if she hadn't recognised one of them. He was the second guy who had walked into Mr Uchiha's office the previous day. What was his name again? Oh yeah, that's right. It was Naruto.

What would he be doing here in the first place? That was sure suspicious. Sakura started to follow them, albeit discreetly. The man he was talking to was on one of the files which Shikamaru had given them earlier on. He had grey hair, but was hardly above thirty. But he was supposed to be in the main office. Why was he here?

Sakura followed both men until they walked through a wall.

Not actually, but the wall had some sort of sealed door which opened up once they neared it. She waited a few minutes before going herself. The wall was an automated panel which was clearly motion sensitive. But what was surprising is that the area which followed wasn't even supposed to exist. None of it was in the architectural planning of the building. A short corridor ended in a flight of descending stairs. And judging from the thudding of footsteps against the metallic staircase, that was where the two men had gone. She followed both of them down, carefully taking note of her surroundings so that she could make a quick escape if necessary.

Both men walked through yet another door, which then sealed shut after them, leaving Sakura with no way in.

"Well that's just great!" she muttered, looking around to see if there was any way to enter the room without being noticed. Not likely, seeing as the door wouldn't even budge. But seeing an overhead vent, she had an idea. One which might just be crazy enough to work. On her way down, she had seen a maintenance panel to the ventilation shaft, and that would be quite easy to get into. Especially seeing as there was practically no-one in this part of the building.

Retracing her steps, she found said maintenance panel, and pried it open.

"Well, let's hope this works."

She took out a torch and climbed in.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha could either be an incredibly patient man, or a very impatient one. And it was the misfortune of the man he was talking to, Yakushi Kabuto, that he was now incredibly annoyed. The man was persistently trying his patience, and he was on the verge of shouting.

For starters, he had insisted on shifting locations to a secluded room before even broaching the subject he had come to talk about. And after finally reaching said location, he wasted at least ten minutes talking about useless subjects.

"Get to the topic Kabuto! The kid died!" he said, finally snapping.

"Ah...yes. It was most unfortunate." He said coolly.

"I don't want to hear condolences. I want to know why he died, and why you disposed of the body so inefficiently."

"Now now...you can't blame it all on us. And please don't lose your temper."

"Answer the questions." he said through gritted teeth. "Now."

Kabuto paled slightly and said, "Well, you see...The toxin we injected within the child was non compatible with his body. We realised this only after we had begun experimentation. And we had already removed several of his organs before that...So naturally, we had to stop the operation mid way. And unfortunately, the child died."

"Why were there no donor organs kept in reserve?"

"We're talking about a test subject, there are many more. What's the need to go into such depth over individuals? Surely you don't actually care for their? If that were the case, you wouldn't be condoning the experimentation in the first place..."

Sasuke was quiet for a while. How was he supposed to explain to a heartless idiot that he was trying to retrieve their one successful test subject as fast as possible to discontinue all further experimentation of the sort?

Finally, he stood, saying, "The Uchiha corporation cannot afford to have any association with any organization aiding or abetting criminal activities. We are hereby withdrawing all funding of your projects. "

Mr Yakushi promptly stood up and shouted, "You can't do that!"

Sasuke simply smirked, saying, "Watch me. Remember that if it hadn't been for the Uchiha Corporation's support, you would have gone bankrupt years ago."

The other man snarled, "If you don't return to the Corporation, you can't withdraw your support." He stood up and walked to the door, opening it. "You aren't getting out of here alive, Uchiha. Let's hope your successor acts more wisely than yourself." He walked out and slammed it shut before Sasuke had a chance to react.

Now trapped, Sasuke cursed as he turned towards the other door for leading out of the room. The one that led deeper into the compound. Just as he was about to walk to said door, the ventilation shaft overhead burst open, and out tumbled a mess of black, red, and a familiar hue of pink hair. Before him lay the delicate, soaked figure of Sakura Haruno. Promptly, a long, steady, stream of water began pouring out of the open ventilation shaft, and the same happened to the other vents in the room. For the second time in as many days Sasuke Uchiha was speechless again.


	7. Flooded

**Hi there! Thanks a lot for all of the support. And thanks to _Alice-hime of the moon, galactic fairy 9,_ and _bestfriendsmusic,_ _SakuHimee_ for following. **

**This chapter picks up a few minutes before the last chapter ends, this time describing Sakura's side of the turn of events. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Really sorry but the chapter that was released previously was the wrong one. This is the right one. ..**

 **Disclaimer: Really unfortunately, I do not own Naruto. But Arisa's mine. Not that she is mentioned that much anyway...**

* * *

21st April, 2032, An obscene vent in the compound beneath the Sunset Reservoir, Time: 8.15 am

The vent that Sakura had climbed into was surprisingly spacious, which was quite welcoming, seeing as the last thing she wanted to do was crawl around in a cramped tight space with no lighting. The down side? It was chillingly cold. Like, cold enough to have her teeth chattering, which she had to clamp shut to avoid making noise. Chilly draughts of wind swept through.

She had climbed up to the vents which ran above the room which the two men whom she had been following had entered, and was able to catch the last few snippets of their conversation. Not the optimal result, but albeit, better than nothing.

The man whom she had recognised from the previous day as Naruto stood up and said, "The Uchiha corporation cannot afford to have any association with any organization aiding or abetting criminal activities. We are hereby withdrawing all funding of your projects. "

Well, that gave her good reason to believe that the Sahara group was involved in the crime she was investigating. But she hadn't been aware of the fact that the two companies had been in a financial alliance.

The other man stood up, aggravated, and shouted, "You can't do that!" Judging from his tone, whatever consequences that would arise from the Uchiha Corporation withdrawing their funding, it would arise in he, one of the people on the board of directors, going bankrupt along with his company. Quite evident from the sweat now glistening on his forehead, and the deeply troubled, desperate expression on his face.

Naruto smirked with superiority, saying, "Watch me..."

The other man's brow furrowed in worry, a slightly manic glint in his eyes. Something bad was about to happen.

The other man snarled, "If you don't return to the Corporation, you can't withdraw your support." He stood up and walked to the door, opening it. "You aren't getting out of here alive, Uchiha..." He walked out and slammed it shut before the other had a chance to react.

Now that was drastic. And confusing. Had he just called him 'Uchiha'? Maybe he was naming him in terms of the company he worked for...

Sakura realised that that was her cue to get out, and probably find a way to help out the poor man trapped in the room she had been spying. She was about to notify Ino of what she had found out as she crawled back to maintenance panel.

What she didn't expect was the alarming sound of gurgling water coming from in front of her. Suddenly, a strong current of water pushed her back the way she came. She barely managed to grab hold of and pry open one of the vents she had just been looking through, and she fell head first into the room below.

Of course. How could she have been so stupid? The white man had issued a death threat, and they were in a compound situated _under the water reservoir._ Easiest way to kill someone in a locked room down there? Especially when the place is practically empty? Flood the place with water from the above reservoir. And that too, through the vents. She should have smelt 'trouble' the second she felt the could draughts of air. More importantly, she should have made her escape the second she got the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Instead, she was now a soaking, disheveled mess before someone who wasn't even supposed to know that she was in the building. And he was staring at her, like a hapless idiot, might she add, _again._

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone harsh and snappy.

Well, what was she expecting? Some incredibly chivalrous act of him helping her to her feet? Obviously not. She was seriously beginning to dislike Mr Hapless Idiot.

"I'm FBI. I don't need to explain myself or my whereabouts. The question would be, why are _you_ here?" she asked, standing up and checking her electronic devices for. All were waterproof, so she didn't need to worry about any damage. But what _did_ worry her was that her cell phone had no service. The underground building must have been blocking her connection.

"I am here on official business," he said, stoically.

"On behalf of Mr Uchiha himself, I suppose." she said skeptically.

"Yes, in fact."

In the time they had been talking, the level of water in the room had risen at an alarming rate- they were now ankle deep. They had to find a way out- oh yes, _they_ -not just her. even if she disliked the man, he was a civilian, so by default, she had an obligation to save his sorry ass. Not that she would be needing any of his help to do so.

"So have you ever been to this compound before?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"Hn." he said, while looking at the door which the white haired man had just slammed shut.

Annoying prick didn't even have the courtesy to give her a direct answer.

"And you are aware of the fact that this place isn't even on government records. This whole place exists illegally."

"I do not make it my business to go into the legal extents of a companies assets. Unless it may pose a direct threat to the Uchiha Corporation." he said, still not looking at her.

"And do you know the layout of this place? Or even, what the heck they do in here?" she said, trying to act as though this were a simple interrogation rather than a life or death situation.

He didn't reply, so she grabbed his arm and spun him to look at her. Meeting his eyes, she took note of his sculpted face, and deep, dark eyes, that could as well have pits staring into oblivion...he really was attractive, she supposed, which was probably the only thing he had going for him. He had also taken off his suit blazer, leaving behind a damp white shirt which clung to the muscles of his abdomen, and his broad chest. Definitely attractive.

"Answer the question." she demanded.

He didn't reply, instead taking hold of her arm roughly and wading through the water to the door on the far side of the room.

"What are you-"

Without further ado he kicked down the door. On the other side was a dimly lit corridor with flickering lights, most of which were no longer working. Several tables and cabinets had been upturned and partially blocked the path, and the floor was covered in water- water which was now calf deep.

His grip on her arm strong, he pulled her after him as he maneuvered around the obstacles to walk down the corridor. He still remained silent and aloof.

Fed up of being manhandled, she dug her heels and forced him to stop.

He turned around and glared at her. "Do you want to drown?" he asked morbidly.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? Or where you're going? Do you even have a plan?" she asked, infuriated.

"There is another door leading out of this compound, one which connects to a manually operated elevator." he was clearly annoyed by her. Well, let him stay that way. Not as though she cared.

"And don't you think that whoever it was that came up with the brilliant plan to kill you would've thought of that by now? Don't you think they'd have blocked off that exit?"

"So are you suggesting that we just remained in that room until the water rose above our heads?"

"No." she crossed her arms. "I'm suggesting that you were more open with your information about this place. Especially because of the two of us here, _I'm_ the higher ranking official.'

He glowered at her, while saying, "Then what do _you_ suggest we do?"

She paused for a moment to consider his question, then sighed resignedly and said, "I guess you're plan is the best to ride on for now. Maybe there's a chance I can contact my team nearer this exit. But we keep a look out for alternatives."

He smirked smugly.

And so they moved down the corridor into a less metallic area with brick walls and wooden support beams in the ceiling above, all the while the water level steadily rising. They came to a stop when they found their entire path blocked. Evidently the vents here weren't water tight, as the ceiling seemed to have been thoroughly soaked, and had caved in on the corridor, almost peeling off leaving the electric and plumbing work dangerously exposed. A few wires seemed to have torn off completely, and some were hanging, sparking dangerously. If they were still in the building when the water reached that level, they would die of electrocution.

Sakura made a mental note not to let that happen. But the more pressing problem was that their path was now blocked. She looked at the man beside her, wondering what his oh so smartness would make of their situation. As for her, well judging from her mental map of the place so far, she figured that there was probably another way to reach the back exit. But the problem was that this alternate route was probably far longer, and, seeing how the water already touched her knees, that was probably not a good thing.

Naruto cursed loudly and turned around.

"How much time will this cost us?" She asked.

"At least a good quarter of an hour. Maybe even half hour." He said, frowning.

Now it was Sakura's turn to curse. "Then let's get moving."

Even on the move, Sakura was still trying to figure out what the purpose of this underground contingent was. But, the entire place seemed to be too messed up for that. Tables were overturned, doors snapped in half or crumpled, and all the while the water kept on rising. Soon, she guessed that she would be thigh deep. As for Naruto, well, he was annoyingly taller than her, but was still knee deep. But at the current level of water, several random objects had begun to float as well. And lots of obstacles were hidden.

They reached a locked wooden door, upon seeing which Naruto's first instinct was to kick down as he had done with the door from before, but when the door did not let down, she pushed him aside and said, "Get over yourself, you're not _that_ strong. Stuff like this needs finesse." She pulled out a needle like tool and picked the lock within seconds.

The door burst open, and Sakura realized with widening eyes why it had been so hard to force open the door by breaking it down.

A large metal cabinet had been leaning against the door, and now careened towards her


	8. Fall into Darkness

**So this is the chapter which I accidentally released yesterday! Sorry about that...I can be a klutz at times.**

 **Please read both this and the previous chapter if you're wondering what the heck happened [which I'm sure you are]**

 **Right now it's from Sakura's view, so when she talks about Sasuke she calls him Naruto. It can be a bit confusing, but bear with it.**

 **Disclaimer -i don't own naruto.**

* * *

From the position, she was at, she couldn't dodge without being blocked by the walls of the corridor. From the size of the cabinet, assuming it wasn't empty, being hit by that would crush her, and either knock her out or trap her, fracturing several bones and, if coming into contact with the head, kill her.

She was about to scream from the impact. Warm arms wrapped around her and she felt herself move with incredible speed.

She felt a warm breath on her neck.

It sent cool shivers down her spine.

She turned around to stare into carved ebony eyes.

How had he reacted fast enough to push both of them away?

She let out the breath she had forgotten to release. And then took a few more deep breaths.

 _Get a grip. You're a special agent, you're the elite. Not some pushover who lets a scrap of metal set for the junkyard take her out._

Realizing what an intimate position they were in, she pulled away akwardly and quickly said, "Thank you." Though it was barely audible and barely a muffled murmur.

It did annoy her for this annoying prick to be the one saving her. And it felt like an big slap in the face to have something to be grateful to him about. But the only thing she _could_ do was to get them both out of there as quickly as possible and settle all debts.

She gave him the cold shoulder and walked through the door they had just opened.

"How far are we from this exit?"

The room they had just entered started on a downward slope, and the water was at waist height for her.

"It should be a few more-" He stopped talking as the lights above them began to flicked dangerously.

Sakura barely realised what was happening and push herself and Naruto under the water as the lights exploded.

Almost five minutes later, she was gasping for breath as she finally resurfaced. It was pitch black around. They had been swept by the fast moving current as soon as they ducked under the surface. And the water was now up halfway up her torso. She heard Naruto break the water surface as well, and she asked, "Are you okay? Any injuries?"

She couldn't see his face, but he scoffed in annoyance.

She took out a torch and switched it on, scanning their surroundings. "Are we close?"

"Probably. The elevator door is behind a maintenance panel in the generator room."

It was almost suspicious how much he knew about the compound.

"How old is this elevator?" She asked.

"New."

"Is it really worth going there even with the generator so close?"

He glared, "Do you see a better alternative?"

He had a point. A very good point. So she shut up and scanned the labels above various doors. They were in the bottom most part of the basement, and the water was rising the quickest. Every second that passed by added at least one inch to the water level.

"There it is!" She said as she started wading towards the door illuminated by her torch light.

"Wait." Naruto called out.

She turned the flashlight on him and said, "We're running out of time."

"You don't want to be electrocuted, do you?" he asked irately, "The generator room's ventilation is separate from the rest of the compound, but the minute we open the door, water from here will push into there."

Her eyes widened in realization, and she said, "And the backlash from the generator will electrocute us. So the only way for us to get to the elevator is-"

"To get there before the water level rises up to the generator." he finished.

"Then we just have to time it right." she said.

"There's no way that the elevator's not locked. How do you plan to counter that?"

She handed him the torch and said, "I'll handle that. For now, we need to focus on unlocking the door to the generator room."

He smirked, saying, "That won't be a problem."

"Oh really? How so?"

"All the maintenance rooms here are locked by the same four digit password. One which I happen to know."

Without warning, he took a deep breath and dunked under the water, reaching for the door handle and keypad. A minute later, he came up for air and said, "It's unlocked, but the door's jammed."

"Move aside, " she said, barely giving him time to jump aside as she forced the door off it's hinges. Although she didn't look it, she was definitely physically able. And very strong.

They were blinded by the electric lights in the generator room, as the water flooded into the room. Naruto grabbed her hand and tugged her along to a set of steel double doors on the other side of the room, "This is it." he said.

The door was locked by the same pass code which had been used to enter the room. They entered without too much difficulty and the lift started it's ascent.

Sakura frowned. Something wasn't right. Why would the elevator be so easily accessible? Wasn't the white haired man quite adamant about killing Naruto? Then why would he leave the elevator so unguarded?

The answer came like a slap in the face when the elevator abruptly stopped moving and the lights went out.

"The generator 's been flooded. All electricity out. " Naruto said in the darkness.

We have to get out of here. The elevator will probably drop soon." She said.

The other man looked at the ceiling of the elevator, a frown on his face. "There's a door there. But it's locked tight."

She looked at the small circular door he was talking about, a small smile on her lips. "I can manage that."

Sakura had trained to get to where she was. She had made herself strong. Strong enough to knock open a door at least. And that was exactly what she did. But of course she didn't let the man in her company see the blood that now trickled down her palm. No, she simply hoisted herself the roof of the elevator, and watched him do the same.

There was still quite a long climb ahead of them before they reached the upper door of the elevator- the only way to make that climb would be to use the suspensory cables which held the elevator. And Naruto seemed to understand that.

"I sure hope you know how to climb up ropes." She said, trying to ignore the pain in her hand as she gave the cables a slight tug to check if they were steady enough to climb.

"Hn."

Couldn't he say the word 'yes'?

Stepping away from the cables, she said, "Civilians first." motioning for him to go up first.

The man glowered at her but didn't argue as he started climbing.

Tearing a strip of cloth off her skirt, she wrapped it around her still bleeding hand and then started climbing after him.

Soon, she was struggling to keep herself steadily rising. She had already fallen considerably behind Naruto, and was slowing down. her hand was continuously throbbing, and all she could focus on was to keep climbing.

The cable swayed slightly as she reached her injured hand out to grasp it, and it slipped through her fingers before she could react.

Her heart lurched and a scream ripped from her throat as she lost her grip completely and fell spiraling into the darkness below.


	9. Don't you remember?

**Thanks for all the positive support...Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Naruto, just like Barack Obama is the president of Japan.**

* * *

21st April, 10:07 am, An elevator shaft beneath the Sunset Reservoir.

Two bodies fell into the darkness, spiraling into the darkness below. Beneath them both, a falling flashlight left a trail of light in it's wake.

The larger of the bodies moved downward with incredible speed, one which could not be attributed to the force of gravity. but the second body was falling too fast to realise that.

Sasuke Uchiha grasped the falling pinkette's arm, his other hand burning against the cable as he slowed them to a stop.

Her hand was bleeding, though he could not inspect the full extent of the damage in pitch darkness, he felt the warm liquid trickling down her arm. He paused for a moment to catch his breath.

Of course, when he had first seen her fall out of the vent, his shock was unimaginable. His thoughts had been that he now had not only to get himself out of that mess, but to save this moron too. But she was important. So he _had_ to save her as well, possibly making use of the situation to capture her.

However, now, with both of them within an inch of falling to their death, he was trying to dismiss the feeling that inclined him to believe that he would have risked himself to save her even if she was not of use to him. Naturally, that line of thought was very swiftly pushed to the far corner of his mind.

He pulled her up so that she was no longer dangling beneath him, and said through clenched teeth, "Hold on to me."

Realising the gravity of the situation, she did not argue, and instead obliged, wrapping her non injured arm firmly around his shoulder.

Now having one hand free, Sasuke brought it to his pocket, taking out a corrugated knife. If he could time it perfectly, he might just make it out of there with both of them alive.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sakura screamed as he started sawing at the cable at a point beneath where his hand gripped it.

The cable snapped.

They shot upwards.

Technically, the elevator was operated on a pulley system, and by cutting the cable Sasuke had just cut the elevator's suspension. Now, while the elevator cannoned down to the ground on one end, they spiraled upwards towards the top of the elevator shaft.

"You're going to kill us. We'll crush against the upper ceiling. And there's no way we'd be able to escape from that. Even if the upper door was open, we'd never make the jump." Sakura hissed at him.

"A little trust would be appreciated? If I wanted to kill us, I had plenty of opportunity down there." he said sarcastically.

She glared at him and said, "You're insane." as their rapid conversation came to an end. The upper end of the elevator was fast approaching.

A matter of seconds before they crushed against the ceiling, Sasuke looked at the outer door of the elevator. On cue, it opened onto a deserted corridor. As expected. So his message had reached its intended destination. And his contact had made quick work of the task. In a split second, Sasuke moved once again with the same inhuman speed and precision, jumping through the door, and landed on the floor beyond, Sakura in his arms.

They had escaped.

It was over.

Sakura looked at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"H-how did you know that the door would be open?" she asked, shaken.

Sasuke didn't answer, and instead he took hold of her injured hand, not bothering to acknowledge the look of embarrassment and humility that crossed her face. Removing the makeshift bandage which she had wrapped around it, which was now soaked in blood, he tore a few strips of his own shirt and wrapped them tightly around her hand. The fool, as well intended as she may have been, had injured her hand quite harshly in an attempt to force the maintenance door of the elevator open.

Her phone buzzed several times, and Sasuke released her hand, contemplating whether it would be a good idea to capture her there and then.

She checked her messages, eyes once again widening in surprise as she read through what seemed to be a large number of messages.

She put down the phone and faced him, saying, "Well,...I've just informed my team that we are no longer in danger. I guess it would be wise for you to return to your company before that man realises that he didn't kill you like he planned to. But I'll be visiting your office tomorrow to finish a full report on what just happened."

So that meant that this was no longer an opportunity to take her captive without anyone knowing her whereabouts. He nodded at her and she turned around walking away from him.

Just as she reached the end of the corridor, she turned back her emerald eyes locking with his onyx ones for an instant, as though saying 'thank you'.

And then, slowly, her lips spread into a tantalizing smile.

It was the same as in his dream.

The exact same.

* * *

21st April, 2032, House of Sasuke Uchiha, time- 23:43.

Sasuke found himself at the same beach as before. Only this time, he seemed to be sprawled out on the sand. As though he had jumped from the cliff above, and now found himself on the black sand below.

It was no longer sunset, rather, twilight. The moon was nowhere to be seen, but the sky was coloured with myriads of stars.

There, among the calm, peaceful waves, she stood with her back turned to him. She was illuminated by the starry sky reflected by the sea. Ethereal.

She was surrounded with orbs of water, suspended in mid air, and circling around her. She was forming and controlling them, almost as though she were interacting with the water itself.

She laughed playfully as some of the orbs popped showering her in water.

He stood and approached her, almost in a trance.

She turned around and looked at him, her eyes filled with an expression he couldn't read.

Then, she gently took hold of his hand and pulled him off the sand into the water, as though asking him to join her. Her smile was tender, and her demeanor serene.

"It's beautiful tonight, is it not?" she asked, stopping to look up at the sky. Her voice was soft and melodic.

He looked at her, and asked, "Why are you here?" _Why has my subconscious brought me here?_

Her smile fell. The orbs of water suspended in the air burst spontaneously, and the sky itself seemed to dim in brightness.

"Don't you remember?"

* * *

 **Thanks so much to everyone who's read through to here, and to everyone who's reading and reviewing through to the end. I'd love to hear more from you on what you like and what you'd like me to add or switch around with. All criticism and compliments are welcome, no matter how rude or great.**

 **I hope I have you're continued support!**

 **~Raven**


	10. Mysterious Figure 101 is?

**Hi there! The last chapter was so fun to write... If there's anything you think doesn't add up or you don't understand, feel free to ask in the reviews. But most of it will be revealed in due time...**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. But all OCs are mine and mine alone.**

* * *

21st April, House of the Hyugas, time- 23:57,

The doctor had told Sakura not to use her right hand under any circumstances for the next couple of days. Which, she thought to herself as she lay awake in her room, was incredibly infuriating. Not as though she would pay any heed to what that old hag Tsunade would say.

The whole team had withdrawn their activities to regroup outside of the Sunset Reservoir after Sakura had found Ino again. What she had heard from the vents and their attempted murder was enough to have an arrest warrant for the company's whole board of directors. But that would first require a search warrant to find the underground basement layer which Sakura and Naruto had escaped from. The good news; it was a lead, and one which should help them get to the bottom of the case.

At home, Ino had chided her to no end for injuring herself, and Hinata's mother had taken her straight to Dr Tsunade, and fussed over her like she was a child again. Arisa and Hinata had drilled every detail of the ordeal from her and had shared what little they had found out at the main building. And Neji had gone back to HQ to find Shikamaru, who had apparently been caught sleeping on the job. So that night when Neji finally came home, he was _very_ annoyed, which was funny to watch.

But most of that could be considered at least semi normal. And despite their worryings, they were still concentrating on the case at hand. None of it attributed to her lack of sleep.

What _did_ annoy her was that man. She still couldn't understand why he chose to risk his life to save hers on multiple occasions in that basement compound. Had it been her risking herself, it was justified; she was an officer of law, civilian life was her top priority. But _he_? _Why did he save her?_

It was a mystery to her, which was the source of her irritation.

The last time someone had made her depend on them like that...it had been when she was still with her brother.

The very thought of those days brought back all the sadness, desperation and helplessness which she felt at that time. She hated reliving those memories.

When she had first left lost coast twelve years ago, she had made her way north to the small area of Eureka. It was a more rural area of western California, and had provided her with little shelter. She was as good as a street rat. She spent those first six months miserably, but had ended up in an orphanage by the end of the first year. But San Fransisco was no longer the city it could once pass for. It was one of the crime hubs of America. Orphanages were no exceptions, and most of the government funding never reached the children, and was used by corrupt management to meet their personal ends.

Sakura had met Ino, Hinata and Arisa- a chance encounter that had taken her life for a positive turn after that. She joined the house of the Hyugas, who were big on adoption. Hinata and Hanabi were the only blood children of Hiashi and his wife, the rest, like Ino, Arisa, Shikamaru, Kiba, and even other friends who were not in the FBI, like the multilingual Tenten, who was working abroad in the intelligence agency, were all orphans. Suffice to say, her life was almost normal after she was adopted by the Hyuga.

But far before that, even before she came to lost coast with Gaara, she was somewhere else. A place she had vague fuzzy memories of. It resembled an institute or orphanage of some kind. But the only thing she associated with that place was a sharp feeling of unease that sat with her whenever she tried to think of that time- which was not very often in the first place. She seldom thought about it, and had probably forgotten willingly.

The first time she had ever depended on someone was when she was with her brother. He had taken her far away from whatever bad memories surrounded her infancy, and had been her constant companion until he disappeared. Whenever she thought of him, or all of the things he did for his little sister, the conflicting warmth and sadness which arose at the memory of his presence and then of his disappearance left her raw and numb with fresh pain. Even twelve years after he had gone, his loss was still as sharp as a honed blade. But despite all of the pain, his memory to her was one of warmth, happiness, and love. Her brother had always been there for her to rely on.

Yet why did she feel a similar, if still subdued bubble of warmth when she thought of that strange man who had forced her to rely on him as well?

* * *

April 22nd, 2032, Apartment of Sasuke Uchiha, time- daybreak.

The elusive nightly visitor to Sasuke's house came mostly in the cover of darkness. However, on rare occasions, such as this one, when the sun broke over the horizon before he could leave, one could glimpse the form of his cloak, black and dotted with red clouds, which he donned as he stood in Sasuke's bedroom.

"You made quick work of the elevator. Good job." Sasuke said to him.

"And yet, fate presented you with a perfect opportunity to capture her, and you _let her escape?_ " His voice was low and smooth.

"Well, perhaps I could have done a better job if I hadn't been so preoccupied with trying to _save our lives._ " He responded sarcastically.

"Foolish actions. How much did she hear? It's dangerous for us to not know how much of our involvement she is aware of ."

"I have no idea how long she was in that vent for. It wasn't as though I was able to interrogate her when my top priority was getting out of there _alive_."

"Clearly, you are making no progress on your own. We must assume the worst. Have you arranged for a suitable cover story? And drawn up the necessary paperwork? "

"What do you take me for? It was the first thing I did upon returning."

"At least there's _one_ thing you can do right. But it's evident that you can't manage the task alone with these foolish actions. "

Sasuke glared at him about to say something.

"We cannot afford to have the FBI or the Hyuga on our tail. From now on, _I_ take an active part."

* * *

 **Short boring chapter with no real action, right? Wrong.**

 **I'm going on vacation! So no, that does not mean no new updates, it just means that I'll publish this one short explanatory chapter before I get on with the story plot.**

 **By the way, how did you all like Sasuke's unfinished dream? XD Review already! If you have the time to read, tell me what you think. Input is really important.**

 **~Raven**


	11. Question answer time

**I was literally in the air as I wrote this chapter- on aeroplane. Hope you enjoy the read!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

22nd April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation. Time- 15:35

For the second time that week, Sakura found herself in the Uchiha Corporation main building, once again on official business. And the person she was looking for was making her wait. _Again_.

Finally, after a good 2 hours of making her wait, a secretary escorted her to Mr Uchiha's office, which was apparently where Naruto spent all of his time. She was supposed to meet the two of them.

When she walked through the pristine steel doors, the only one inside was Naruto, sitting in a seat next to Mr Uchiha's chair. His demeanour was as cold as ever, and his raven black hair covered part of his face.

"Take a seat." He said in a low, indifferent voice. She sat down in the chair opposite from him.

She had talked to Arisa before coming in, and had been told to treat it as as a mission debriefing. Although she hadn't heard the complete conversation, the Uchiha Corporation may as well have been involved in the crime they were investigating. After all, what she had heard almost solidified the fact that the Sahara Group was involved.

"I have an official report of the events which took place yesterday. Among other things, it accuses Mr Kabuto Yakushi of attempted murder. We may use it in the case we are currently investigating if the Sahara Group is found guilty. " she took out said report. "It requires your signature."

She placed the file on the table before her and pushed it towards him.

When she had written the report, she had also looked through the public records of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. There was almost no information on Naruto, only that he was an orphan who had been taken in by the Uchiha Corporation at a young age. No pictures either. As for Sasuke, a few sketchy pictures and official documents were all he had to offer.

Naruto picked up the file and looked through it, stopping at the page where his signature was necessary. He spent five long minutes looking at it, before finally taking out a pen and signing it.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Anything else will require the presence of Mr Uchiha." She said.

He looked at her intently, his onyx coloured eyes locking with her. As though he was using those eyes of his to look into her mind and soul, and reading her like the file he had just finished reading. Unnerving, it almost sent shivers down her spine.

She returned his stare, not wanting to prove weaker in any way by being the first to break eye contact.

He handed her the file and as she reached out with her right hand, he dropped the file and grasped her hand. She jumped in her seat with surprise at his sudden actions. Then, she realised he was looking at the bandages.

She was surprised that he even noticed, she for one had forgotten it was there. He looked at it with concern, asking, "Is it a serious injury? "

She took a little too long to respond before saying, "I - it's really nothing. It'll heal up in a day or two."

His hold on her hand lingered for a few more moments until he let it drop and gave her the file.

She turned in the direction of the door, to see Sasuke Uchiha standing in the doorway, looking at Naruto with comically wide eyes.

He looked the same as he did two days ago, tan skin, whisker like markings on both cheeks, and ridiculously pointed patent leather shoes. And he was ogling Naruto.

"I-is there a problem, Mr Uchiha? " she prompted.

He looked at her and then back at Naruto, and after what seemed to be a silent conversation, he said, "No problem at all. Hi! Umm. ..what was your name again? " He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sakura. Sakura Haruno. FBI" she said.

"Oh yeah! That's right. I remember you, just not your name. You're the super cool special agent who came here as well as Hinata ! You saved Sa-N-Naruto's life! " He said.

"Umm...yeah, I guess." She said, laughing at his antics. He seemed to be a genuinely good soul. Which made it all the more important to finish her business there.

"I'm here on official business. In particular, the conversation between Naruto and Mr Kabuto Yakushi yesterday at the Sahara Group office building." She said, suddenly taking a more serious tone. She looked at both men. "I heard everything."

Sasuke looked unfazed by the statement, but looked confused as to why she had changed tone. And Naruto looked as impassive as always.

Another thing she had spoken to Arisa about was how to go about interrogating them. She had reminded Arisa that they had not heard the full length of their conversation, which meant that she could not ask them about everything. In reply, Arisa had smiled mischievously , saying, "But they don't know that. Use that to your advantage. ..."

"And trick them into spilling the beans." Sakura had finished.

She was dragged out of her recollection by Sasuke squirming uncomfortably in his chair saying, "About that...It's better if you talk to Naruto about that. I'll go get the paperwork? " before she could properly answer, he darted out of his chair and left the room.

Once again face to face with only Naruto, he started by asking, "How much did you hear? "

She had come to a conclusion yesterday that he was not nearly as dumb as she had initially made him out to be. In fact, he was dangerously strategic. And he knew exactly what she was trying to do.

"Enough." Was her reply.

He looked at her through those cold, calculating eyes, saying, "Where do you want me to begin?"

She could tell him to start at the beginning. But then he may believe that she hadn't heard anything. So she said, "Start with the funding. What were you funding? And why did you help them out of bankruptcy in the first place. "

He looked at her with the same unnerving gaze.

"We first answered their plea when they were on the edge of bankruptcy two years ago due to a series of unsuccessful projects. After a full assessment, we decided that they were a good business prospect to invest in, and so Sasuke decided to invest in their company as a way to expand on our profits. A few projects were reviewed and funded by him, all of which were successful. "

Reasonable enough, it matched what she had been told. "And the records for these transactions? "

"They are among the files he'll be bringing shortly. "

"What about the underground compound? Were you aware of its existence? "

"Yes. We had been there on several occasions. What they were used for, we do not know further than the fact that they were composed mainly of private conference rooms."

"You realise that that place isn't even legally built? " she asked.

"We were not aware and not informed. Is it not the business of the authorities to check for things like that?" He parried.

He was good, she had to give him that.

"What about the boy?" She asked.

He paused for several moments before saying, "Which boy?"

She blinked at him. Was he playing dumb? Or simply trying to confirm who she was referring to?

"The boy whose dead body was found. The boy whose murder we are attributing to the Sahara Group? "

"He has nothing to do with us. " he said coldly.

"Then how do you explain your visit to the office yesterday? " she asked.

"A source informed us that the Sahara Group may be suspected for the crime. Since we have a clean record, we do not wish for any association with criminally involved organisations. Hence the withdrawal of our support. "

"And do you believe that they were responsible? " she asked.

"You heard what Kabuto said as well as I did. He denies all involvement. Although his involvement is very likely. " he said.

Just then, Naruto burst in with a pile of 4-5 large files. He walked towards Sakura before tripping on the floor mat and promptly dropping everything.

Naruto groaned while Sakura sighed, laughing inwardly. He really was a funny idiot.

"I'm sorry! " he said as he struggled to gather all of the files. Naruto got up and helped him arrange the files, handing them to her.

Sighing, she looked through the files. Not that it would be of any use. If they were indeed hiding something, it would be easy enough to come up with counterfeit documents. The last thing she had discussed with Arisa was what to do if they manoeuvred their way out of her questioning. Arisa had asked, "If I put you in alone in his office, will you be able to locate anything confirming or erasing our suspicions?"

"How much time would I have?" Had been her reply.

"How much time would you need?" Arisa had said.

"15 minutes. "

"I'll get then out of the room for that long. You just stall until my distraction takes place. "

Dragging herself out of the memory, she watched as the door banged open. The other man from two days ago, the one called Sai, shouted, "Sasuke! Naruto! There's a Russian madman wreaking havoc downstairs. He's overturned tables and chairs, set fire to some poor chap's briefcase, and thrown several computers across the room! He demands to see you! "

Naruto and Sasuke both got up and rushed to the door, Sasuke saying to Sakura, "Take your time looking through that stuff...we'll be back in a jiffy."

And the two left, with only Sai remaining standing in the doorway.

"I don't suppose you know which of these drawers has the classified documents?" She asked him.

"All the interesting stuff is in the cabinet by the windows. But it's locked- not the kind of lock that you can pick." He turned around, shrugging. Just before he left the room, he added, "Well, since I don't spend some of my free time eavesdropping at the door , I wouldn't know that that Sasuke keeps the key opening the cabinet containing his classified business transactions inside the photo frame of he and Naruto which he insists stays there. But of course, I shouldn't betray Sasuke's trust any further so I'll be leaving now..." he left the room.

* * *

 **Remember, since it's from Sakura's perspective, every time she says 'Naruto' she means "Sasuke" and vice versa. Confusing, but funny**

 **Also, since I had to write it from the phone and was pressed for time, it may seem a bit abrupt and there may be mistakes, so please bear with me! I'll review it ASAP.**

 **~Raven**


	12. Sneaking around

**So how did you guys like the last chapter? Sorry if the ending was a bit abrupt, but it may be better if you think of this chapter and the last one as the same. It may be getting a tad bit uninteresting, so give me your suggestions and input as to what you might like to see or not see in the coming chapters. Anyway, get reading!**

 **Warning: Some minor bad language in the last few lines, so just as a precaution, I'm obligated to mention this.**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto**

* * *

It took Sakura five minutes to find the photo frame which Sai had spoken about- it had been pushed to a remote corner of the first drawer under it. But getting the key out of the frame had not been too hard. Once done, she started unlocking the cabinets mentioned by Sai.

The first compartment contained documents on research in some of their medical laboratories- she scanned through them to find nothing out of the ordinary in them. The second compartment had shipping lists , ones which she had already explored on her previous visit to the company. She was running short on time as she opened the third compartment. It contained mainly lists of various clientèle from different branches of the company. She looked through several of the papers, all of which were labelled, and once again found nothing which was uncharacteristic of companies of that size. As she put the files back, about to go on to the fourth compartment, a sheet of paper slipped out and fell onto the floor. It must have been one she missed, she thought to herself as she looked through the names on it, seeing as none of the names were ones she had just read. Strangely enough, the sheet had no labelling either. Apparently the spectacularly well organised corporation had printing disorders too. But it seemed to be enlisting more clients and their records. It was dated two years ago.

She was about to put the paper back inside the file and replace it , when she froze reading the last name on the page.

She dropped the sheet, her face turning as white as a sheet.

There, at the bottom of the page which lay upturned on the floor, were two words printed in black ink. Two seemingly harmless words, with big implications.

The last line of the page read as follows, in the order of serial number, name, status, date:

0134_GAARA HARUNO_F_02/11/2030

* * *

22nd April 2032, Uchiha Corporation.

Sasuke Uchiha stood in the elevator as it ascended from ground to top floor of his office building. The Russian madman he had just encountered had been an arrogant, annoying lunatic who had no idea what he was doing. And his so called 'business' for which he insisted on meeting with the head of the corporation had been little more than nonsense. To top it all off, his security had very conveniently _disappeared,_ leaving Sasuke and Naruto to forcefully remove the disturbance from the building,- a tedious process which had taken fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes of a trained FBI officer alone in his office- _he_ who was involved in criminal activities. Every member of the security detail would find themselves replaced and without employment by the following morning.

Needless to say, Sasuke Uchiha was _very_ annoyed.

He walked back into his office with Naruto at his tail to find Sakura sitting exactly where he had left her fifteen minutes ago. Seeing them come in, the pinkette stood up and said, "There's nothing here which doesn't comply with what you've already told me. It seems like my business here is done, so...I'll be on my way." she got up to leave and Naruto, still under the guise of 'Sasuke Uchiha' bid her farewell. As she reached the door, she turned back as though remembering something, and said to Naruto, "Oh, and I forgot to mention. A friend of ours is returning to the city so we're holding a get together or party of sorts at the Hyuga household. Hinata asked me to invite you."

Naruto broke into a wide grin, almost bouncing on those patent leather shoes. "Sure! I'll come for sure!"

Her lips curled in a soft smile as she watched his reaction. Then she turned to him, not wanting to be impolite, "Of course, you're invited too. We'd love it if the both of you could make it. " _Definitely not happening._ He thought to himself.

"Hn." he said aloud.

She smiled again and said, "That's great! The party starts at 7, but you can come along whenever. Knowing Tenten, she'll drag it out till 12, so any time is fine. I'll be leaving now then." she walked out of the door.

He turned to Naruto, who was sitting in the main chair behind the desk.

"Get out of my chair, idiot." he said.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him but got up nonetheless.

"Now get out of that ridiculous disguise, then come back in." he said.

"All that acting like you and dressing up as you, and I don't get a word of thanks?! You think I _like_ being you?" he said indignantly.

"What's not to like about bossing people around from the hear office?" Sasuke said.

Naruto cocked his head thoughtfully. "Good point." he said, getting up and leaving the room to get changed.

Finally reclining in his own chair, Sasuke looked through a few of his papers and drawers to make sure that Naruto hadn't misplaced anything. His attention was brought upon a photograph of he and Naruto back when they had finished their high school education. It was a picture Naruto insisted stayed in his office at all times, and was thus pushed to the far corner of a drawer. But although the photo frame was in its drawer, it was no longer covered by multiple documents and notes. It was possible that Naruto had taken it out for old times' sake, but what caused Sasuke to suspect more was the angling of the photo frame. Taking out the photo, he removed the upper half of the photo frame revealing the key he kept inside it. As expected, it was there. But, it had clearly been taken out. And, judging by the warmth of the metal key, which had been kept in a cold room, his suspicions were confirmed. Someone, namely a pink haired FBI agent had been snooping around in his office. The question remained, _How much did she see_?

He got out of his chair and went to the metal file cabinet behind his desk, next to the window. He had removed several incriminating documents from the cabinet the previous day and had moved them to a safer location, but there may still have been some files associated with the basement levels in the fifth and sixth cabinets. Opening the various cabinets, he knew that someone had been looking through the files. He still had no idea how many of the files she had seen though. What caught his attention was a glint of metal in the third cupboard. Looking closer, he found a small flower shaped charm lying in between two files. It was a cherry blossom.

How fitting for her to leave behind a calling card. Did she know that she had left it behind? Probably not. But what would her reaction be if she found out that he saw it there? That would tell how much information she had found out.

He rushed outside of the building to catch up with her, the Russian man thankfully being nowhere in sight. She was walking with two others- a tall black haired woman and a man with long brown hair, who looked suspiciously like the Russian who had given them so much trouble earlier. Sakura had not seen him yet, and he walked up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder.

She turned around, surprised, while her companions did the same.

"N-naruto?" she asked. The black haired girl eyed him suspiciously while the brown haired man said something resembling 'hurry up with whatever this is' and walked ahead.

He held out the charm and said, "I believe this belongs to you."

He watched her eyes widen in surprise as she looked at a charm bracelet on her arm, back to the charm in his hand, something resemblant of anxiety passing through her expression as she realised where she must have left the charm.

"T-thank you. I must have left it in the office..." she masked her expression with one of calm, and once again smiled saying, "I would have lost it otherwise. Thanks for coming out to return it to me."

He had seen all he needed to see from her reaction, and so he nodded and turned away. It would probably be necessary to find out exactly what conclusions she had drawn from the files she accessed. Maybe he would have to take up her invitation to join their party, if only to access the full report she had made on her visit.

* * *

22nd April, 2032, Hyuga household Garden marquis. Time- 21:17

Sasuke and Naruto walked into the party which was already in full swing. Of course, they hardly knew anyone there- a fact which Naruto found exciting and he bothersome. He had had to repeatedly remind Naruto that, while there, he would have to remain in the guise of 'Sasuke Uchiha' seeing as that was who he had been introduced to Sakura and Hinata as.

Once they were greeted by Hinata, Naruto had quickly gone off to join her in meeting her friends and family, while he slipped away from the garden soon after greeting the host. He had not seen Sakura yet, but hopefully she was too occupied with the party to catch him snooping around her house. With luck, the same could be said for the rest of the family members too.

He located her office relatively quickly without trouble, and found the files which she had brought into the office earlier that day. Upon reading them thoroughly, he decided that whatever she had seen, it was not enough for her to be suspicious of him for any reason. He also spotted the page on which he had signed as 'Naruto Uzumaki'- something which had taken quite a bit of consideration before he did. Technically, although he could forge and copy Naruto's signature, it was illegal to do so, especially in police documents, and if he were caught, it may drive unwanted attention onto his operations. So it had taken him quite a bit of time before he finally signed it.

Making sure he kept everything exactly where it had been when he came in, he left the room, shutting the door behind him. He looked up to see green eyes filled with annoyance. Sakura Haruno stood in front of him, hands on her hips, very obviously irritated and suspicious seeing him come out of her room.

"And what exactly do you thing you are doing?" she asked.

He had to supply an excuse quickly.

"I was looking for someone." he said coolly.

She eyed him skeptically.

"And who exactly would this _'someone'_ be?"

He fixed her with a gaze he knew would be deemed attractive by any member of the opposing sex. "You."

She seemed taken aback at his sudden change in mood, her voice soft as she asked, "Why?"

He needed to stop her from being suspicious of him, and, in his experience, the best way to do that with a woman was to catch her off guard. So his following actions were justified. It was to be noted that he in no way actually _enjoyed_ doing it. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Aloud, he said, "I was just...thinking about..." he leaned in closer to her, placing his hand on her cheek as he brought his lips to meet hers, gently kissing her as he closed his eyes.

 _Slap_

And then came the stinging sensation on his left cheek as he registered that she had slapped him on the cheek. _She_ , a conniving bitch, had just slapped _he,_ the great Sasuke Uchiha. And now, she walked away with her back turned to him.

Oh he was _very_ pissed now. Extremely pissed. And she would pay.

* * *

 **Like it? Love it? Give me some feedback guys! Good or bad. I need to know if I went and ruined it for you or something, or if you loved it like I did. #lovebadassSakura :3**

 **Read and Review, Favourite and Follow!**

 **~Raven**


	13. Meet the Akatsuki

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the last one. I know for sure I did. #BadassSakuraRocks. If you're thinking she's ooc, remember that she hasn't fallen for Sasuke yet. So I think it's justified.**

 **I don't think I need to say this, but here's a language warning for minor bad language.**

 **Disclaimer : need I say this again? I don't think so. It's all formalities and pretentious absurdity.I do not own Naruto  
**

* * *

22nd April 2032, Hyuga Household.

 _That **stupid bastard**_ _had the **audacity** to kiss **me!**_ Sakura thought to herself as she stormed into the crowded garden. Yeah, sure he may have saved her life a few times, and yes, he may have returned her charm to her, so alright, he may be a nice guy. But that did not justify him kissing her, and she definitely did not appreciate being kissed by a playboy who she hardy knew. A playboy, yes, because that was the only name she could put to him after his actions.

She hated being taken advantage of or made out to be weak. And what Naruto had just done felt like a massive slap in the face to her, which was exactly what she returned to him. At least she gave him a taste of his own medicine.

She spotted Arisa walking her wearing a black evening dress, saying, "Where have you been, Sakura? The party's in full swing and there's some people I want you to meet."

She eyed her suspiciously saying, "What people? And why don't you ever take my advice not to wear black?" Arisa didn't tend to befriend many people. Unless she were drunk, in which case she could mix with very dodgy people. _Very_ dodgy.

"You'll find out when you meet them. They're cool..." she completely ignored her second question.

"Where's Tenten?" Sakura asked, inquiring after the person for whom the party was being thrown.

"Oh, she's fine. She's with her boyfriend who she picked up while she was away. Goes by the name of Lee." she laughed, "He's quite eccentric."

It was nice to know that the ever boisterous Tenten had finally settled down with someone.

"What about Hinata?" she asked.

"She's off with that Sasuke guy. They get along real well. He's a nice guy, but I wonder how someone so stupid could ever become the head of a company like the Uchiha Corporation..." she shook her head.

Sakura laughed saying, "I know what you mean. He's a complete goof, from what I've seen."

Arisa led her away to a pavilion saying, "So Sakura...Meet the Akatsuki!"

There were five guys and two girls hanging out on the pavilion, one of which being Ino. They all looked her way hearing Arisa's proclamation.

A yellow haired guy who wore a pony tail similar to Ino's said, "Eh? Who's the pinkie, Arisa?"

"That idiot over there's Deidara. He's really useless." Arisa supplied in answer to Sakura's questioning glance.

"I'm sorry, exactly _who are these people?_ " Sakura asked.

"Don't tell me you don't know _that."_ Ino said, joining the conversation. "'The Akatsuki'? Rock band? Awesome hot guys who also act and model for stuff?"

"They're a music group involved in Hollywood and what not. Like I said, that's Deidara, the silly one." Arisa said, not a change in her impassive tone as the blonde shot daggers at her.

Sakura took a good look at said blonde, and finally said, "I get it! You're the fool who played the Joker in the batman serialization!" she said, stifling a laugh.

The man sighed dramatically and said, "Of all the amazing things I've ever done, why do you all remember me for that unfortunate casting? I auditioned for the role of Bruce Wayne, it's not my fault they put me in the antagonistic role! They just don't get how cool I can be!" he said.

Ino laughed, saying, "Keep dreaming. This is Yahiko. " she added, introducing another man with spiky orange hair and multiple facial piercings. "Although he likes to call himself Pain. So yeah, another idiot."

The man shrugged nonchalantly, extending a hand toward her in greeting while calling over a red haired boy with eyes the colour of a stormy sky. "That's Nagato." He said in a fairly posh English accent.

"And this is Konan. Yahiko's girlfriend." Ino added, introducing her to a pretty purple haired woman. She had a lip piercing and several studs on her eyebrow.

"Oh come on, I'm not _just_ his girlfriend, I'm his fiancé." Konan added, pouting while she walked over to rest her head on Yahiko's shoulder.

Sakura gave Arisa a confused look while Arisa brought her to another man. His hair was a sandy red, and was short and spiky. At first, she could have sworn she was looking at her brother from twelve years ago, and her breath caught at the memory. That was, until the man turned to look at her. His eyes were grey- the only feature which differentiated him from her brother.

"This is Sasori." Arisa said, putting an hand on her shoulder. She seemed to understand that Sasori's appearance was startling to her.

Sakura felt tears prick her eyes as she thought about her brother, but nonetheless greeted the man named Sasori.

Arisa steered her away from him and said, "Sorry about that. I guess that brought back unwanted memories."

Sakura replied with a small nod, still confused as to how on earth Arisa and Ino knew those people.

"That guy over there is Kisame, but I'm not going to introduce him to you. Yes, he is friendly, if you get to know him, but he's also sick. A sadist. I don't really feel like dealing with that now. He'll probably make some reference to cannibalism." Arisa said, sighing, her demeanor returning to its normal, serene self. "They're nice, but they are exhausting. And often really annoying."

Sakura stopped walking and said, "Wait a minute Arisa," she shook her head, "How on earth do you _know_ these people?"

Arisa looked at her and blinked once or twice, before she started laughing. "Figures that you'd ask that. Of all the questions."

"I'm serious, Arisa. You're an FBI agent."

"I met their manager and director at one of my part time jobs back in college. We've become real good friends over the years. He's actually with Neji right now- you don't know him yet, but I'm sure you'll like him." Arisa said.

Speaking of Neji, Sakura was reminded of earlier that day. "Was it _really_ necessary to have Neji dress up as a Russian guy? Seriously, _Russian_?"

Arisa snickered and said, "Hey! I got a video! Now I can blackmail him with it. I swear, I've half a mind to post it online."

They walked up to where Neji was talking to a tall man with jet black hair which hung in a loose pony tail. He looked about three to four years older than the rest of them, and held himself with an innate grace that Sakura found enviable.

When he heard them approaching, he turned to face them with a warm smile as Arisa hugged him in greeting. "Itachi, meet Sakura. Sakura, this is Itachi."

"Hello." He said, extending a hand in greeting.

She shook his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you."

"Itachi is a stage director, manager, talent scout, and songwriter." Arisa suppllied.

"That's varied." Sakura commented.

"Its not when you consider the man isn't even officially part of any agency or company. He's freelance." Neji added noncomitally.

"How come?" Sakura asked.

"I like to stay anonymous." Itachi said.

"Seriously?" she pressed, grinning. Judging from his subdued tone, Itachi seemed like the kind of person who did not favour excessive human contact. In fact, she could see exactly why Arisa seemed to like him so much.

"You'll never find his name on any credits roll and stuff. But he even directs fashion productions and stuff. Right now, he's in charge of taking care of the Akatsuki group and their various recording deals and other jobs." Arisa said.

"Cool. So how did you come to do what you do?" she asked him.

"I guess it just stuck." he replied vaguely.

"I've told you about Sakura tonnes of times. She's on our team." Arisa said.

"Technically, that should be classified information which you have no right to disclose to strangers." Neji commented, no longer taking an active interest in the conversation.

"Nonsense. You know him as well as I do Neji." Arisa said.

"Don't you have something you were supposed to be doing? " he asked, annoyed.

She glared at him, before sighing and saying, "Hinata has stuck us with some ridiculous stuff to do from her mother. I'm afraid that means I'll have to go now. See you later!" she walked away, with Neji following her.

"How do you know Arisa and Neji?" she asked Itachi, while watching Arisa's retreating figure.

"Your adopted sister has quite a talent for the performing arts. If she was not so engrossed in her current proffession then I would have scouted her to my team by now." he said quietly.

"She said she met you at a part time job? As far as I know, the only part time job she did in college was singing in some evening clubs and restaurants as part of their entertainment services." Sakura asked.

"I met her at one of those places and offered to have her join a talent agency, and when she flat out rejected my offer, we sort of became friends." he said.

"Oh."

"What about you? Do you have any talent for the entertainment industry?" He asked.

She shrugged nonchallantly and said, "I've never really tried to find out. I spend most of my time away from work doing volunteer work."

"Volunteer work?"

"Oh, you know, NGOs, Animal trusts, Orphanages, Hospitals and stuff like that." she said.

"That's very kind of you." he said in a soft undertone.

"Well...I used to be an orphan myself. And it's not like I'm the only one who helps out. All of us do." she said.

"But still, it's admirable to be able to help so many." he said.

"It's also admirable to be able to touch so many with your productions." she commented.

He stayed silent, while the music playing in the marquis suddenly became louder with a more demanding beat. He held out a gentlemanly hand, asking, "Would you like to dance?"

Since she was going along with all the other crazy stuff taking place, why not? She took his hand and nodded.

* * *

22nd April, 2032, Time- 22.00

Sasuke grabbed Naruto the second he found him in the marquis, saying, "We're getting out of here." and barely giving him time to say his goodbyes before dragging him away from the party.

He was angry, and wished not to spend a second more in that wretched house.

He hit the accelerator as they pulled onto the crowded streets of San Fransisco, all the while Naruto complaining annoyingly about not being able to properly say goodbye to everyone. At long last, he looked at Sasuke properly and asked, "What's up with you? Why are you so angry?"

Naturally, Sasuke didn't respond.

He leaned in closer to Sasuke's face, and must have seen the mark that woman had left when she hit him, for he asked, "What _happened_ to you? You've got a bruise on your cheek."

He ignored the annoyance.

"Could it be..." Naruto trailed off, thinking of all of the possibilities, "You were hit!" he exclaimed.

Sasuke pressed down even harder on the pedal, pushing Naruto back against the seat as the car sped forward.

Naruto broke into a grin, saying, "So you _were_ hit. Who did it? I doubt there's many people who you would allow to hit you like that. That too, on the cheek. Let's see- who at the party could do something like that?" he thought for a few minutes, before hesitantly asking, "...Was it Sakura?"

The car took a turn a little too sharp for comfort as Naruto was thrown against the window.

"Ow! You didn't have to do that! So it was Sakura, I'm guessing. Sheesh Sasuke, What did you _do_ to her?" he said, eyes widening with horror as he ran through the possibilities is his head. "Don't tell me you...you...stole her ramen!" he started.

He was completely ignored in that statement.

"Ok...so you... _kissed_ her?" he asked jokingly.

Sasuke's driving borderlined maniacal as he completely forgot about stopping at red lights.

"WHAT?! You KISSED her?" Naruto exclaimed. Then, he smiled knowingly and said, "Oh I get it. You really are a goner. Don't worry, for I, _Sasuke Uchiha,_ can clear up the confusions and put in a good word on your behalf!" he paused, and before Sasuke could respond, he added, "You really are in _loove_ with her!"

The car abruptly came to a stop, Naruto being thrown forward in his seat, his head hitting the dashboard. Rubbing his head, he sat up, looking at Sasuke and asking, "Oi! What was _that_ for?"

Sasuke glared at him and growled, "Just Shut Up."

The rest of the car journey was spent in silence.

* * *

 **Sorry I didn't update this sooner. But I hope you enjoyed reading it!**

 **Really dissappointed with the lack of feedback. I don't know if you guys liked that last chapter or not, or if you want to see more stuff like that, or what you're looking for.**

 **But never mind, Read and Review!**

 **~Raven**


	14. The Snake's Lair

**I've dallied with the plot enough. It's high time I started advancing with the plot. So here you go!**

 **There was a question about Arisa in the reviews, so here's my reply. In this story, Arisa is sort of like my own personal input or avatar. She is an OC, but she's one I can identify well with, so when I need to add in simple stuff like that, I'm much more in my comfort zone with Arisa. She isn't a main part of this story and she's just a sidelined character, but I still like her. After all: I made her. Sorry if it's a turnoff for you guys, but I hope it doesn't mean that you stop reading the story. Another thing is that I've written other stories with her, some which are published, some not. But I've gotten used to adding Arisa in where the cast of Naruto acts. Maybe you would want to check out some other stories to get to know her or see if you like her. Once again, I apologise if you don't like her being in the story. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions.**

 **Warning: Minor bad language in the last part of the story. Not that you guys will need the warning anyway.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Office of Dr. Tsunade Senju, Time- 07.40

"Sakura! Your hand!" Tsunade exclamed as the pink haired woman walked into her office that morning.

Sakura, upon inspecting her hand, looked up and asked, "What's wrong with it?"

"Where on earth is your bandage?! I told you strictly not to touch it until I removed it." she said, crossing her arms, a frown creasing her brow. "When did you take it off?"

"It's really no problem, Tsunade. It's all healed up. I took off the bandage yesterday before the party. It's not given me any trouble."

"Hmm.." she said disapprovingly, "Let me see that." she added, taking Sakura's arm and pulling it toward her.

It really was all healed up. Tsunade found herself marvelling once again at the girl's abnormally rapid healing. For the ten years she had known her, she had never figured out exactly why it happened. Although she did have her suspicions.

"Were you at the party last night?" Sakura asked her.

Tsunade nodded saying, "I drank a little too much."

"We all know just how much 'a little too much' is for you. How come you're working this morning?" Sakura said, laughing.

"I'm here for you. Soon as you're done, I close up."

"Oh."

"How's your case going?" she asked, as she let go of the hand and turned away to make note of the progress it had made.

Sakura told her a bit more about the boy who had been killed, and about the incident at the Sahara Group building.

"So are you going for pedophilic murder?" she asked.

"Actually," Sakura started, "It's either that or human experimentation."

Those last two words had Tsunade staring at Sakura. "What did you say?" she asked softly, a sharp contrast from her previous assertiveness.

"Human experimentation. I know how much you would hate the thought of stuff like that...sorry I brought it up..." she said.

Little did she know that those words held a much deeper meaning to Tsunade than she could have imagined.

"What did you say the name of that man was? The one who tried to kill you?" Tsunade asked, her eyes fixing on a spot somewhere in the distance.

"His name is Kabuto Yakushi. He's on the board of directors from the Sahara Group." she said, a little surprised by Tsunade's change in behaviour.

Tsunade was quiet for a while, before finally sighing and saying, "Well, your hand seems fine again. But don't overexert yourself. If I see you in here again in the next two weeks, be it from a papercut or a gunshot, I am _not_ helping you. Consider that your warning to be more careful. Now scram!"

Five minutes after Sakura had left the office, Tsunade found herself locking doors and putting on her raincoat. It didn't take her long to find a cab to take her to her destination, but it did give her enough time to think.

Tsunade had always wanted to be a doctor. But there was once a time where she was heavily involved in research as well.

The taxi came to a stop, and she got off, walking into the building she had arrived at. Her destination was in the cellar. The laboratory she walked into was dark, damp and cold. Very unwelcoming, and home to only one conniving snake.

Before its owner arrived, she took a moment to explore some of the research papers and articles on the desk. Suffice to say, she did not like what she read.

Orochimaru walked up behind her, asking in his characteristic hiss, "And to what do we owe this pleasure Tsunade? How rare of _you_ to pay me a visit."

She turned around as soon as she heard his voice, to find him in a lab coat, a sickly green snake around his shoulder.

"Orochimaru." She aknowledged his presence.

"What brings you here today? Did you finally feel like you missed your old friend?" he asked.

"When did your research take a practical turn again?" she asked him.

"But what do you mean? I've always experimented with my discoveries or research."

"People are dying, Orochimaru. And it's your fault. Again."

"I'll have you know that the first time around, it was _our_ fault. Not mine, not yours, the three of us- you, Jiraya and I."

"That's in the past. What about now?" she said, her voice rising to a shout.

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid with me. You've been continuing your research! And you've started taking human experiments. And your lapdog Kabuto is helping you get test subjects."

He grinned, sayind, "Oh, I'm sure you have it all figured out. A very good guess, and almost accurate too. You did check your facts first. But you're wrong."

"You can't deny that you are continuing our research! That too, when we all swore never to touch it again!"

He laughed saying, "And do you expect me to believe that _you_ haven't done the same? Aside from the live experiments, are you implying that you haven't furthered your theoretical knowledge?"

"And so what if I _have_? You have no right to use our research as the foundation to hurt people. Again."

"And who have I hurt?"

"How can you even ask something like that? Removed organs and neurotoxins in blood? Only you can pull off something as sick as that. You were the one whose experiments killed that boy. And goodness know how many other kids you've done away with."

"I assure you, that boy was one of the only few to die- a very sad casualty- but still, collateral damage. I have amassed a great amount of research in the practical field."

"You cruel bastard!" she cried.

"I don't see why you are so pertubed by this. I have been doing this for quite a long time now. It has been more than twenty years. Personally, I know for a fact that I would have completed this particular branch of my research by know if you had aided me with your research. It is still not too late to collaborate on this as we once did."

"I would rather die than help you kill others." she snarled, turning away to storm out of the building. She had heard enough.

* * *

Meanwhile, as soon as Sakura left the good doctor's office that morning, she was greeted by Ino, who had been waiting for her in the car for the last fifteen minutes.

"What did Dr Tsunade say? All healed up?" she asked, as soon as Sakura got in the car.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"So..." she started, warming up for what was to come, "Where do you think you get off flirting with not just one, but _two_ insanely gorgeous men at last night's party?!" she demanded.

Sakura almost choked at the question. "Excuse me?"

"Oh don't think I didn't see you...first of all you were all over that Naruto guy, and then next thing you know, you're dancing with Itachi. I mean, who _does_ that?"

"Wait a minute- how did you see what happened in the hallway?" she asked, trying to recall if she had seen the blonde anywhere nearby as she had stormed away. "I thought you were with those guys from the Akatsuki."

"You don't need to know that- the important thing is- _You are the most stupid girl I have ever met!_ "

Sakura couldn't help but laugh and comment, "Obviously you haven't met yourself."

"Ugh- I'm trying to _help_ you, and you pull silly comments like that? I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Moving on, you had a _deliciously sexy_ bachelor in a secluded, quiet hall, _sweeping you off your feet_ with a _passionate kiss,_ and what do you do? _Bitch slap him._ I mean, who the fuck does that?!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Sakura said.

"Well then, enlighten me." Ino said, before adding, "Actually, don't. I know exactly what I saw. And to top it off, not fifteen minutes later, you were on the dance floor, and not with the guy you were kissing, but another dreamily attrative male. And you didn't even think to let me in on the flirting!"

Sakura rolled her eyes as the car came to a stop in front of HQ.

She got out, while Ino said, "Neji's put me on an on-field thing again, I'm not coming in. I'll see you at Ichido's this evening. Remember, you promised me dinner!"

Sakura shrugged and walked away.

Inside the car, Ino checked the display on her phone, while shaking her head at Sakura's behaviour.

"Poor girl stands no chance with men." she said, sighing. "Luckily, she's got someone as awesome as me to help her out."

The display on her phone showed a most recent conversation between a recently added contact introduced to her as Sasuke Uchiha. Her plan would work out just fine.

* * *

 **For the record, Ichido's is actually a real place in San Fransisco, and it's japanese, so it reminds me quite a bit of Ichiraku's when I hear the name. Sorry if Ino was too shallow, or Ooc. But Ino is Ino, she can be a bitch if she wants, and she can also be a real good friend- or an annoying one, as you'll see in the next chapter. Who can guess what might happen?**

 **I was in the mood to write more today, so there's two chapters for my avid readers. Feedback! Reviews! Everything else that comes along with the bargain!**

 **~Raven**


	15. A chance meeting?

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoy it!  
**

 **Am swamped with homework right now so my next update might come out a little late. Still hope I can pick up more followers and favourites!**

 **Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don't own Naruto, Neither do you.**

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Ichido Restaurant, 500 Pine St, San Francisco, Time- 19:59

Sasuke walked into the restaurant at 7 in the evening. The business meeting scheduled by Naruto was suspicious if anything, but since he had decided so graciously to answer all of his calls, the only way to clear up his mess was to entertain the clients Naruto had fixed appointments with.

Upon entering the restaurant, Sasuke looked around searching for his client. He was interrupted by a phone call from Naruto.

"Hey Sasuke..." he said hesitantly.

Sasuke sighed and impatiently asked, "Where is this client?"

"Well, you see..." he began, "There's a sort of problem. "

Had Sasuke been with Naruto at that moment, he would have broken several of his bones by then. "Get to the point. What problem? "

"Umm...The problem that the client phoned to say that he was running late and may not be able to make it?"

"This is the last time I let you handle client meetings."

"A-are you leaving now?"

"What else do you expect me to do?" Infuriating was the only word to describe Naruto.

"Umm...The client said he _might_ be able to make it. Like, in an hour or something."

"And you're telling me to waste an 'hour or so' doing nothing over here?"

"Maybe yes? You hardly have some time to relax! Why don't you loosen up a little?"

Too annoyed to continue the conversation, he hung up.

 _Of course he wasn't going to waste his time there. He would return to the Uchiha Corporation and use the opportunity to strangle Naruto._ As he walked towards the doors, he spotted a lone head of familiar pink hair sitting at a table by the window. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards in a smirk as he thought to himself, _But where would be the fun in that?_

* * *

"May I have a seat?" Sasuke asked Sakura, who was until then glaring at something on her phone.

She looked up, startled by his sudden appearance, annoyance crossing her expression as she recognised him. "What do you want?" She asked.

He shrugged, finding her annoyance amusing. He was feeling quite spiteful of her for slapping him the previous night and was more than willing to repay the favour.

He didn't reply and sat down opposite her, in accordance to which she huffed in annoyance and said, "Well e _xcuse me_ if I'm not quite as fond of the idea of spending _another_ evening in your company after last night."

"Are you waiting here for someone or were you planning on dining with yourself" he asked.

"I was supposed to meet a friend here, but seeing as she stood me up, I guess it's just me." she said, before adding, "And what about you? Do you make it a habit to wander aimlessly around random restaurants across the city? Or are you here with your imaginary girlfriend?" she asked.

If he had not been the one to start conversation, he would have stopped talking to her long ago. Irrespective of whatever caused her to be in such a feisty mood, she was proving to be more annoying than Naruto.

"A client was supposed to meet me here, however as things stand now he'll most probably be unable to come. I'm sure Sasuke has something to do with it though." He said, once again taking care to keep up the facade by which he and Naruto had switched identities.

"And so here you are." She said sarcastically.

Bored of current topic he asked, "Have you ordered yet?"

She seemed slightly taken aback by his question but nonetheless answered by nodding.

He called over a waiter and ordered food for himself, before asking her, "So how is your case going?"

She eyed him warily, choosing her words carefully before saying, "We're considering the Sahara Group as the primary suspect. We went back to the Sunset branch today with a search warrant so we could find the underground basement lair where Mr Yakushi tried to kill you. But not only did they deny it's existence, all of our searches and scans turned up blank."

Most of what she had just said, he already knew. But it was still wise to keep note of how much the FBI had figured out. "Perhaps if you hadn't been so useless the day before yesterday, you might have had more opportunity to find incriminating evidence against Kabuto."

On cue, she looked up at him when he mentioned the word 'useless', her eyes shooting daggers in his direction, eliciting the desired response.

Just then, a waiter arrived, serving them both their food. They both ate in silence, both lost in different streams of thought. Sasuke found himself staring at how her shoulders dipped into slender arms, his mind involuntarily straying back to the white clad figure of his dreams.

"Your eyes ..." he said, struck by a sudden comparison, "are like my mother's." It was an honest truth, and would serve to pull her guard down.

It seemed to work as her expression until now angered and irate turned to surprise, soft tenderness. But her next words took _him_ completely by surprise.

"You must miss her a lot." she said, her voice soft, gentle and empathetic.

He _did_ miss his mother after being separated from her at such an early age. But the question remained, "How did you know?" It fell from his lips before he could rethink. Of course she thought that he was Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan and though she knew nothing of the circumstances due to which he was separated from his mother, still without knowing, she had managed to say the only thing that could have lowered his guard at that moment. The fact that she was able to empathise with him, as though she knew about everything - that struck him the most.

"It's okay, I know you're an orphan," she began softly, "I am too"

He found his own throat dry. "Do you remember your parents?" he asked, curious.

She looked down, her eyes found something on the table between them.

"No. No I don't. But I _do_ remember someone else. He cared for me like a parent might have, I guess, and I do miss him."

He knew that she was probably talking about her brother, but he didn't say anything. After all, it wouldn't help to mention that he was the one holding her brother captive.

She shook her head as though bringing herself out of her memories, before saying, "I guess the pandemic of 2012 really did us hard. Almost everyone in the Hyuga house is adopted as a result of something related to that."

Twenty years ago the country faced a deadly pandemic which soon spread to all parts of the world. The causative agent still unknown to scientists, and the reason why the pandemic ended was also a mystery. All that was known was that the world population was more or less halved by the end of the pandemic.

"Do you have any family remaining?" she asked.

He could have answered for himself as Sasuke Uchiha, but that would contradict any intel she had gathered on him. So, as Naruto, he answered, "No."

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! It's kinda sappy with no real progress in the story line, but action coming up in the next chapter.**

 **As always, Read and Review.**

 **~Raven**


	16. Scared

**Well, you're still reading, even if you're not reviewing. But if you actually cared to tell me what you liked, I could add more of it in.**

 **If you have stayed with me this far, I'd like to thank you for reading the whole thing, and I appreciate your support.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters belong to the original mangaka.**

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Ichido Restaurant, 500 Pine St, San Francisco, Time- 20:45

Sakura had been in an irritable mood ever since she had walked into the office that morning. The unsuccessful visit to the Sahara Group had definitely not helped, nor had Ino's last minute message saying she would be unable to meet Sakura for dinner- an idea which Ino had come up with in the first place. Not to mention, her run in with the Prince of Bastards had been all too coincidental. The second she heard Naruto say that his friend Sasuke had something to do with his being there, she was certain of the fact that it was an all an elaborate plan of Ino's arising from the scene she had witnessed the previous night.

For some reason however, be it Naruto's obvious desire to aggravate her, or his snide remarks followed by a sudden change in mood as they talked about lost family, somehow her bad mood was lifted by the end of the evening, if only to be replaced by a somewhat friendly debate as they left the restaurant. That did not mean, however, that she had forgotten about the previous night. No, it merely meant that she was willing to extend to him a hand of friendship for a second chance.

As they left the restaurant, she asked him, "Did you come by car or cab?"

"Car." he replied briefly.

"Is your car parked ahead?" she asked.

He nodded. "Is yours?"

"Next to the gas station." she replied.

The streets were chilly for an April night, and Sakura wished she was wearing more than her thin windbreaker. But all thoughts of the weather flew from her mind as a black mass came hurling towards her, crashing into her, then running past her.

It took her a few seconds to register what had happened, but when she did, she was sharply aware of two things. Firstly, Naruto was holding the shivering black mass by the scruff of its neck- it was a child, a girl barely ten years of age. Secondly, her purse was clutched in said child's trembling hands.

"A pickpocket." Naruto said, taking the purse from the kids hands and handing it back to Sakura.

The sight of the shivering child, still held immobile by Naruto, reminded Sakura so much of herself when she had first found her way into San Fransisco- all alone, homeless, with nowhere and no one to go to. She was not cruel enough to dismiss her as a petty thief.

"Not a pickpocket. An orphan." she corrected, then lowered herself to the child's eye level, asking, "Am I right?"

The child was still shaking uncontrollably, but managed a strangled whisper of "Yes."

"Put her down, Naruto. You're scaring her." she said.

He obliged before asking, "The kid tries to steal your purse and phone, and you're going to let it go?"

Sakura ignored his question, saying, "She must be a runaway from some orphanage." she pulled the child closer, taking one of her hands in her own, before jumping in surprise. The child's hands were freezing cold. Of course she would be cold, she was dressed in thin black rags.

She put her hand on the child's neck, checking her body temperature, her brow creasing with worry as she took note of how cold she seemed.

"You're freezing!" she exclaimed, looking around for something warm to wrap around her. Before she could, Naruto had taken off his jacket and draped it around the girl's wiry frame.

"We need to get her somewhere warm." she said to him.

"The gas station is closer. We'll take her to your car." he said, turning to walk in that direction.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked the small waif in front of her.

"Y-yuki," she replied.

"Okay Yuki, come with me. You're safe now." she said, holding her hand and following Naruto.

Five minutes later, she was heating up her car while Yuki sat in the front seat, warming her hands in front of the vent. Naruto had gone into the gas station to find something hot for her to drink.

"Where did you run away from?" Sakura asked.

"T-they're gonna come after me." she replied, still shaking, "They're going to take me back." She started sobbing quietly.

Sakura pulled her into a hug, putting a comforting hand on her head, "Shh..don't cry. Nobody's going to hurt you now."

She lulled Yuki into a calmer state, only to have her jump up again and look around frantically as she heard the sound of some distant car doors closing. She pulled away from Sakura, drawing her knees up to her chest and curling up into a ball like a cornered animal, all the while shivering madly and sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's just a car. It's not even near us. Nobody's there Yuki. It's okay.." she said, soothing her, and coaxing her out of her shell.

She heard Naruto approach from behind and hand her a cup of hot chocolate and a box of doughnuts. "Sakura."

She ignored him and brought the cup of hot chocolate to Yuki's lips. "Drink it. You'll feel better." she said, in response to which she parted her lips and allowed Sakura to pour the drink into her mouth.

"Sakura." Naruto called again, which she once again ignored and kept her attention on Yuki, who practically inhaled the drink and wolfed down the doughnut she handed her.

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and turned her around to face him, saying, "Sakura."

"What?" she asked, surprised.

Having finally gotten her attention, he said, "Look over there."

She followed the direction of his gaze to the doors of the gas station, where three suspicious looking men walked out. They seemed to be headed straight for them.

"Who-?" she asked, her hand instantly straying towards her weapon holster, surveying the area. The area was more or less empty, save for a few nearby trucks and a gas tanker. No other people were in sight.

It dawned upon her that perhaps Yuki's apparent paranoia was not as baseless as she had assumed. If that were the case, then Yuki was much more than a runaway orphan from a badly run orphanage.

Before she had more time to consider that line of thought, sounds of gunshots filled the air as the men opened fire on them.

She ducked behind the car, Naruto crouching down beside her, as she removed her pistol and fired back at their attackers. Naruto pulled Yuki, who had once again curled into a ball out of fear, out of the driver's seat where she was clearly an easy target.

"You take care of Yuki." she told Naruto.

Before he could protest, she stepped out of the car's cover, aiming for the legs of one of their attackers and firing with trained accuracy. Her bullet hit the knee, and the man fell to the ground.

The last bullet he fired went in the wrong direction as his trajectory was suddenly disturbed by Sakura's bullet. Instead of aiming in the direction of Sakura's car, it hit the gas tanker parked to his left.

As the gasoline within ignited, the entire surroundings erupted into red and orange flames, a deafening roar and a flattening shock wave which accompanied the ensuing explosion.


	17. Saved

23rd April 2032, San Francisco, Time- unknown

Two things registered in her mind when Sakura finally found herself capable of coherent thought.

The first was that she was not dead, which should have been impossible considering her proximity to the truck when it exploded. In fact, the only injuries she felt were a mild ache in her back.

The second was that she was on the floor, pressed down by none other than Naruto. A strong arm held her down, and he seemed to be shielding her. Judging from their location, they were on the other side of the parking lot, away from the burning truck. There was no logical way in which they could have covered that much distance in the amount of time they had.

 _Yuki_

The instant the thought of the child crossed her mind, she found herself stricken with worry. Where was Yuki? Had she too escaped the explosion?

Looking around, she felt a sigh of relief as she saw the child curled in a ball unconscious next to her. Unconscious, but unharmed.

 _What about the attackers?_

There was no way they could have survived that explosion. They were no longer a threat. No regular person should be able to escape it. But how had she?

Which once again brought her attention to the man on top of her. Had Naruto been the one to save her? It seemed the only possible explanation. But how? How had he moved or reacted that fast? Had he purposely used his body as a shield to protect her and Yuki?

Seeing as the answers weren't about to present themselves to her, she struggled to rouse herself from her dazed state. She didn't find any severe injuries on herself, but that did not mean that the other two were unharmed. After all, much of their surroundings was still ablaze.

"N-Naruto?" she called.

No response. She noticed that his jacket was gone.

"Naruto!" she called again, this time placing a hand on his shoulder and gently moving him off her so that she could rise to a sitting position. He seemed to hear her this time, and sat up, moving away from her so that they were no longer so intimately placed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking from her to Yuki and then to the truck behind him.

"Me? Are you?" she asked. If he had shielded her and Yuki from the attack, then he was bound to be worse off.

"The police are bound to be here soon. Even if you are a law official, I don't think you want to answer all of their questions." he said. There was something different about the way he spoke from before. He sounded almost strained.

What he said mirrored the thoughts running through her head, but her primary concern changed to Yuki as she cradled the child. Her forehead, seconds ago icily cold, now burned like a furnace- and that could not be solely attributed to the heat of the explosion.

"She's burning up. We need to get her medical attention!" she exclaimed, looking around to see if the authorities were anywhere to be seen yet.

"Where do you suppose we take her?" he asked her, "The closest hospital?"

"No...that'd raise too many questions. I know a place." she replied.

He looked at her suspiciously, "What place?"

She shook her head, saying, "No time to explain. We need to get her out of here. But trust me, any treatment Yuki gets there will be ten times better than any normal hospital."

He nodded, standing up and saying, "My car should be close."

She scooped Yuki off the ground and followed him as they snuck away from the smoldering street. Her only solace was that it was an office block, and the street was deserted. Apart from them, nobody else should have been caught in the fire.

As they got to his car, she was surprised by how willingly he handed over the wheel to her while he sat in the back with Yuki. But she did not complain, seeing as she was the one who knew where they were going.

With empty streets, the drive to her destination would take 14 minutes. She hoped it would be much less. With that thought in mind, she floored away and sped towards Tsunade Senju's house of residence.

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Residential Complex, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, Time- 22:12

"Tsunade! Open up!" Sakura shouted, banging at the door of the good doctor's expensive house in Pacific Heights. The lucky lady not only had a house in one of the most expensive districts in San Francisco, she also had a personal laboratory and corresponding medical facilities. The entire top floor of er house was dedicated to her research. So even though Dr Tsunade was not in her office at the hospital, she was probably the only doctor Sakura trusted to see her in this kind of situation.

Of course, she hoped that she wasn't drunk. Her love for alcohol preceded her, and it was Tsunade's only vice.

The door was answered by the mistress of the house herself, disgruntled and half asleep in a silky dressing gown, a look of annoyance and concern blatantly crossing her features as she recognised Sakura.

"I thought I told you _not_ to let yourself in my office for _at least_ another two weeks." she grunted, turning on the porch lights as she stepped aside, letting Sakura enter.

"I have company." she replied sheepishly, making sure that Tsunade had seen Yuki, who was still in her arms, and Naruto, who stood next to her.

"Sure whatever, bring 'em in. But you'll be paying next time we go out." The woman replied begrudgingly, in answer to which Sakura shook her head exasperatedly, following Tsunade up the stairs to the top floor, laying Yuki down on one of the beds further inside before joining Tsunade and Naruto in the hallway.

"Where did you find her?" Tsunade asked her.

"Street orphan. She's called Yuki." She replied. It was enough for Tsunade to understand. Being closely associated with the Hyuga, and in turn the FBI, Tsunade knew better than to ask for explanations when none were offered. Sakura would return later with a due explanation.

"And what about you?" Tsunade asked, after a long pause, turning to Naruto.

"He's a friend. He was with me when we found Yuki." Sakura supplied.

"No no...I figured that. Not exactly rocket science. I'm talking about his injuries- And don't try to tell me you have none." she added in a stern tone, looking at Naruto. "Forty years I've been on this job- I can tell an injured patient when he's in front of me."

Naruto had barely mentioned anything since they left the site of the explosion, and in the rush of things, she hadn't thought to check to see if he had sustained any severe injury. After all, if it were that bad, surely he would have said something, right?

Apparently not, she realised, and her expression turned to one of alarm as Tsunade turned him around to reveal a painful burn on the back of his left shoulder. His strained mannerism and hoarse speech made much more sense. She chided herself for having been a fool not to realise it sooner.

"It's nothing severe. Take a look at the child first." he said.

"Uh huh.'Nothing severe' Take off you're shirt then and we'll have a look." Tsunade replied skeptically, hand on hip, her 'stern doctor mode' switched on. She was by no means a pushover.

"I said it's nothing," Naruto said, lifting his right hand to the top button of his shirt and attempting to single handedly remove it.

Tsunade heaved a sigh and pressed her hand to her temples. "Who was it who said it was 'nothing severe'? You can't even move your left arm!" she said exasperatedly, looking at Sakura asking, "Where'd you pick up this stubborn hunk?"

Sakura shrugged, asking, "How bad is it? Can you treat it from here?"

"I'd need to take a closer look at it. If he can't move his arm, then we may be looking at something mechanical..maybe even neurological, if he's unlucky." she said.

Tsunade turned around and said, "I'll have a look at his shoulder first then get to the child. In the mean time, you start a blood test on the little girl. You've been here enough times to know the drill."

"Sure" she said while walking back into the room where Yuki lay.

Five minutes later, she heard Tsunade come and say, "It doesn't look good. There's two separate injuries on his shoulder- first is the burn, which is deep to the point it hardly hurts him. And his shoulder's frozen up. Mechanical injury."

That must have been from the force of the explosion combined with the force of him pushing them to the ground.

Tsunade continued, "I've disinfected it and checked for any neurological damage or fracture to the bones- thankfully there's none of that. But the rest is up to his body to heal it. I'm going to check up on the child now- you go into the next room and dress his burn. I've not taught you girls first aid all these years for you to sit back and make me do all the work- Understand?"

"Yes!" she said reflexively, and walked out of the room. Tsunade could be as demanding as a military commander. Or a high school teacher.

She quietly opened the door to the room Naruto was in and slipped in, but did not go unnoticed by him, as he turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"Tsunade's going to take a look at Yuki while I dress your burn." she said.

He nodded curtly, turning around so that she had better access to his shoulder.

Sakura was never one to be overly attracted by men. But despite herself, she found herself unable to take her eyes off Naruto's bare upper torso. Well defined muscles lined his abdomen, and as her eyes trailed over his skin they found not an ounce of flab on his perfectly sculpted body. It was a sight that could arouse even the most austere women.

Her gaze fell on the his left shoulder. She could not deny that she found herself partly responsible for his situation. As to why he saved her again, she was still clueless.

She ran her fingers over his injury, testing the amount of pressure she could apply on the raw surface without causing him pain. His skin was warm and flushed under her fingers. Tsunade had already put a salve on when she was examining it.

She took out the supplies needed for the dressing, and started following the steps Tsunade had drilled into her on one of her numerous visits to Tsunade's laboratories.

Meanwhile her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She understood that Naruto seemed to be a nice enough person- but risking his own life to help her not once, but twice? The same man she had previously pegged for a capricious arrogant playboy.

She kept her eyes trained on her hands as she asked softly, "Why did you save me, Naruto? Again?"

She couldn't see the long calculating gaze he fixed on her. But she did hear the uncomfortably long pause before his answer. "Because you're important."

She was slightly taken aback by his answer. Important? In what way? And how would it affect him?

"Why did you slap me?" she heard Naruto ask. Had she bruised his ego that much with her reaction to his physical advances?

"You were toying with me. You kissed me when we don't even know each other." she replied. She hated being taken lightly. She started to move away having finished dressing his shoulder.

Just as she moved her hand away from his shoulder, she felt his right hand hand grab her wrist, turning her around so that she met his intense gaze. "What if we do?"

She was confused by his question at first, unsure of what he meant. What if we do know each other? What was that supposed to mean? In the end, she assumed he meant to ask what her reaction would have been had they known each other better before he kissed her.

"If we knew each other...things may have turned out differently." she said, unsure of his reaction.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you slapped me." he said.

So he really was pissed that she slapped him. She almost found it cute how he seemed to be nursing his bruised ego. "You're right...it doesn't." she said.

She may be sorry that she slapped him- but she would not take it back. But she could thank him. Thank him for saving her life.

She leaned in closer to his face, cupping his cheek with her free hand as she pressed her lips fleetingly against his own. It was not a kiss to apologise for her reaction the last time he kissed her. It was to thank him for saving her. Again.

As she pulled away, her cheeks red as she thought about all the ways this could backfire on her, she felt his free hand grab her before she could leave. He pulled her closer as he captured her lips for a fiercer, more passionate embrace.


	18. Forgotten Sins

**To all my wonderful readers: I sincerely hope you liked the last chapter! And I'm still looking for more reviews. If you like it, the very least you can do is say so. Since I have no feedback to know what you enjoyed or want more of, I had to experiment a bit with this chapter. But the plot is slowly unravelling.**

 **Sorry about the relatively late update, but I've been super busy what with exams and music theory tests...but I hope to be more regular henceforth!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

 **Read, Favourite, Follow and Review!**

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Laboratories of Dr. Tsunade Senju, Pacific Heights, San Francisco

"Ahem," Tsunade said with a cough, interrupting the intimate scene before her. She inwardly laughed as Sakura practically bolted from the arms of the man she was passionately kissing moments before. It was quite surprising to find Sakura of all people being caught in this situation.

"Next time you try to take a man home with you, make sure he goes to _your_ house- not mine!" she said slightly irate.

Sakura's cheeks were still tainted pink as Tsunade waltzed into the room.

"There's something off with the test results."

"What do you mean? Is it something serious?" Sakura asked almost instantly.

"Not particularly- her stats seem to be normal. If anything a little malnourished."

"Then what's the problem?" she asked, confusion evident from her tone.

"If we go by these results, then there should be nothing wrong with her. The physical symptoms tell a very different story."

"So you think there's a hidden agent taking part?"

"Yes." Her lips pressed tightly in a firm line, as she thought about the other area where she had previously seen similar symptoms. Although that was a long time ago...

"I'll give Yuki some antipyretics, and you take her home. Bring her in tomorrow or the day after and I'll look into the matter." Tsunade said, snapping herself out of her thoughts.

Sakura nodded.

"Now as for you," she said, turning to the black haired man, "I've given you some painkillers for your shoulder, and if you want me to keep treating that burn, then you can come see me tomorrow."

"Actually," he interrupted, seemingly unfazed by the scene she had witnessed earlier, "My arm's fine."

He lifted his left arm up, moving it around, with no apparent visual strain on his arm.

Tsunade felt her eyes widen with shock at the movement. She walked up to him and took a closer look at the shoulder, only to face utter bewilderment.

"But how?"

She thought of any possible explanations. she had been quite sure that his shoulder was frozen. Had she misdiagnosed? Maybe he was in shock from whatever had happened to them- that might've been why he couldn't move his arm. The idea of her having a misdiagnosis was highly unlikely- but it was more possible than the idea of an injury that should have taken months to heal fixing up in a matter of hours.

Sakura gave her a knowing look, saying, "It's okay. Even _you_ can make mistakes."

The suppressed snicker was what set her off.

"You know what?" she said, getting angrier by the minute, "I've had _enough_ of you disturbing me in the middle of the night. It's about time you _get out_ and leave me with my alcohol!"

They didn't waste much time in taking Yuki and leaving.

Watching them pull away from her driveway from her laboratory window, she pulled the blinds, took a bottle of whiskey from her long term stash, and reclined in her comfortable armchair behind her laboratory desk. She heaved a sigh of exhaustion as she frowned upon the test reports that lay before her.

* * *

 _17th March, 2010, Uchiha Corporation, Basement Laboratory_

 _Tsunade frowned down at the test reports in front of her._

 _"Oi! Snake eyes! Get yourself over here!" she hollered across the room._

 _Soon Orochimaru appeared by her side, followed by their third lab colleague._

 _"She's rejecting the toxin." Tsunade said grimly._

 _The white haired analyst of their team asked, "Who?"_

 _"Cynthia."_

 _"You mean the subject we most recently performed the experiment on." their snake eyed companion clarified._

 _"'Subject'? For heaven's sake, she's a child! Real flesh and blood! And an orphan at that! Don't be so apathetic!" Tsunade chided._

 _"So you were saying?" the third man prompted._

 _"These are her blood test reports. There's no external pathogen influencing her current physical state. It can only be attributed to the neurotoxin. She's rejecting it." Tsunade handed them the report so that they could see for themselves. "Our plan of action should be?"_

 _Orochimaru handed her back the reports saying, "So far, the experiment has been successful. Just because she's trying to reject the toxin doesn't mean it won't fulfil it's use and stabilize her body's reaction to the experiment. We should increase the dosage of the toxin to facilitate the experiment's success."_

 _"Are you insane? She's sufferring so much already! Add any more of that thing and she'll be better off dead! And what's to say she'll reject the experiment as well and die? Just get rid of the neurotoxin! So what if the experiment fails! She'll just revert back to her normal state. We can try again afterwards! Tsunade! Back me up on this!" the white haired man argued._

 _"We risk too much if we try to withdraw the neurotoxin now," she said before turning to Orochimaru, "But don't think that the neurotoxin can't kill her. If she reacts too badly, she faces a risk of death not only from the experiment, but also the neurotoxin. We need an alternate compound to stabilize the reaction. And until then- we can't add to the toxin accumulation in her bloodstream."_

 _The two men before her begrudgingly agreed to her solution, while she rolled her sleeves up for the night ahead of her. If she were to find said alternative compound, tend to Cynthia appropriately with as little suffering to the little waif herself, and appease both of her stuffy co workers, she wouldn't be getting sleep for quite some time. Boy she could use a nice martini at that point.  
_

* * *

Back to present, 23rd April, 2032, Pacific Heights, San Francisco

Tsunade drew herself out of her memories as she took a long swig from her scotch.

The past was in the past, and she wanted nothing to do with it. Nothing to associate her with that accursed organization. Or the vile ideas of Orochimaru.

But the child Yuki worried her. For starters, when she first saw the girl, carried in Sakura's arms, she could have sworn she was a ghost of the little waif she had known by the name of Cynthia.

All of that thought was pointless when she considered the implications of Yuki's blood test results.

On one hand, it was likely pure coincidence. But she couldn't get rid of the unshakeable unease that accompanied the report as she looked down at it.

Deciding there was no use in fretting over it, Tsunade left the comfort of her armchair going back to where she had kept a sample of Yuki's blood. If she could prove her unease to be unjustified, then at the very least she could properly enjoy her alcohol.

Separating a small part of the blood sample, she found herself in a part of her lab so infrequently visited that dust had accumulated on the shelves and beaker. It was a field of research she chose to never venture into again.

Finding the compound she was looking for, she added it to the blood sample- it was a quick test they used back in the day to see the concentration of toxin in the sample of body tissue they had.

Under the microscope back in the more lived in part of her laboratory, she looked down the eyepiece, hoping to see the characteristic result of a non toxic blood sample. But all of her fears were confirmed as she saw the exact opposite.

Yuki's blood showed high concentrations of a toxin. The same one she herself had used back when she worked as a full time researcher.

That meant that Yuki was an escaped experimental test subject.

* * *

23rd April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 23:24

A lone white cat darted across the deserted road as a stray black sedan pulled into the driveway in front of the Hyuga mansion.

Sakura was sitting in the back of the car with Yuki asleep next to her. Naruto was in the driver's seat.

Sighing as she contemplating the long explanation that awaited her when she finally got inside, she got out of the car and walked around it to the other side, about to open the door closest to Yuki.

She froze when she felt a warm breath brushing her neck.

"Naruto?" she whispered.

She felt strong arms circle around her waist as he buried his face in her hair. She shivered in pleasure as his lips pressed against the nape of her neck and she leaned back into his embrace.

His lips trailed down to her collarbone and her body stiffened as she suddenly became sharply aware of the fact that they were making out in front of her house. In the middle of the night.

"Naruto," she said assertively, "I need to take Yuki inside."

She had no idea what name to put to whatever was happening between her and Naruto, but she knew for a fact that this was not the right time to be impractical.

His grip relaxed as he pulled back, giving her room to twist around so that she was face to face with him. Her hands slid up his chest and clasped together behind his neck as she pulled him down to her eye level.

Pressing her forehead to his, she added, "We can continue this tomorrow." Her lips curved up in a small smile.

His eyes were unreadable pits of coal, but his actions spoke otherwise as he pushed her against the side of the car and leaned in to steal her lips again.

Fifteen minutes later she finally entered her house to be greeted by an angry Hyuga family to whom she then recounted the events of the evening.

* * *

 **So there you have it! Be sure to tell me what you think! I really hope for a few more of those reviews. It helps to know that you actually enjoy and aren't reading just for the sake of reading.**

 **Stay tuned for more!**

 **~Raven**


	19. Cherry Tree

**Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto.**

* * *

23rd April 2032, Roads of San Francisco, Vehicle of Sasuke Uchiha

It was a matter of great surprise to Sasuke that he had only realised that his arm was better after the crazy doctor asked him about his arm. That did not mean he had missed the great relief he felt and the soothing effect he had when Sakura had dressed his wound. He had dismissed it at the time becoming distracted with _other_ things. But he knew for a fact that the good doctor had not 'misdiagnosed' his injury.

As he mulled over it in his head while driving home, he realised she had _healed_ him without her own knowledge. She was supposed to be able to do it, but why was she not aware of what she was doing? He had one conclusion: Sakura had no _idea_ who or what she was, or what she could do. _Which affected their plans considerably._

It was unnerving how easily he had spoken to her when they ate together. It felt familiar. Which was nonsense considering how, as she had later stated, they knew nothing about each other. Or at least, she knew nothing about him.

Then there was the whole matter of his reaction when she kissed him. What impulse moved him to act like that? Both in Dr Tsunade's house and outside the Hyuga mansion. Was he developing any emotions for her? He laughed mirthlessly at the idea. Admitted, she may be a sincere person, but her only use to him was as a means to an end. Yes, his reaction must have been one of lust. He thought back to the first time she appeared in his sleep...even then he had found her to be breathtaking- gentle and soft. She was an attractive woman. He had merely acted out of desire.

Right?

Such was his internal argument as he made his way home. His treacherous conscience was persistent in trying to prove him wrong. Not that he allowed himself room to doubt himself. At least, not _that_ much room.

When he finally reached his apartment and walked into his bedroom, he found all lights off. A lone candle lit the room dimly. Sasuke identified the man sitting in his armchair to be his usual late night visitor.

Before he could speak, the man shrouded in shadows spoke. "A child escaped today. Two men died in the retrieval efforts."

Sasuke had figured as much. When Yuki first appeared before them, he had had his doubts, but when he realised she had armed men in pursuit, he knew that she was more than a mere street orphan. He did not know the experimental test subjects by face, but he was smart enough to realise that Yuki was most likely from the Uchiha Corporation. Now, he had confirmation of the fact.

"She was traced to the Hyuga mansion along with an FBI agent living there. That would be Sakura." The tone of his voice was neutral, but his accusatory glare said otherwise.

If he knew that much about the whole incident, then he surely wouldn't have missed out the last detail regarding he and Sakura. He winced in anticipation for the reprimand that awaited him.

"You were seen with her." he said, making sure that Sasuke knew exactly what that sentence meant, before continuing on to say, "What on earth were you thinking Sasuke?"

Sasuke ignored him by asking, "The kid who escaped, was she important? Who was she?"

"Named Yuki. She was a clone of an almost successful experiment. The main problem would be if she remembers things and starts talking. If she's with the FBI anything she says might be a problem. It shouldn't be traced to us though- we just need to tread carefully. But don't avoid the question Sasuke, I want to hear it from you. The truth." He fixed him with a pointed look.

"The truth? I wasn't thinking! Is that satisfactory for you?!" Sasuke snapped.

The other man didn't flinch at all. When he did speak, he was still calm and collected. "It's foolish and pointless. How do you ever see this ending well?"

Sasuke had no answer to that. Arguing in his defence was just as pointless when his companion was as stubborn as a weasel. After some time, the other man said, "I'm only doing this because I don't want to see you get hurt. Don't let it go any further. Are you injured?"

Sasuke nodded reluctantly, relieved but annoyed with the change of topic. "I got burnt in the explosion. She healed me. But she has no idea what she is. Or what she can do."

"How did you get injured in the first place? With your abilities, you should have escaped. Unless...you tried to save her?"

Sasuke's silence was answer enough.

The other man shook his head exasperatedly and sighed, saying, "If she falls in love with you, great job! It'll be that much easier to bring her in when the time comes. But don't let it go both ways. From your side, stop it before it goes any further."

That left Sasuke grumbling silently as the other man left the room.

It was without much difficulty that his subconscious carried him away shortly after...but as to their destination, he could do nothing to protest.

 _He was knee deep in water, the wet sand underneath his feet pitch black. He found a small trail of footsteps leading off the coastline towards the cliffs. Unwittingly, he followed them out of the water, following the trail onto dry land. He may not admit it, but when his eyes swept the cliff line, he searched for a specific colour- a pale shade of cherry blossom pink._

 _His gaze fell on a small house next to a low cliff. The windows were dusty and the place looked deserted. Except for the trail of footprints in the layer of dust that covered the porch, and the door, which was ajar._

 _Hesitantly, he followed the trail of footsteps into the buildings. It was a simple house, with a homely seating arrangement opening into an adjoining kitchen. But the place looked lifeless, abandoned. As though nobody had lived there in over a decade. Deciding that nobody was downstairs, he made his way up the narrow wooden staircase. The floor creaked with every step, and he could decidedly feel the years of dust and coastal weather wearing away at it. Despite the sun being overhead outside, inside, it was dark and damp._

 _The footprints led him to a small room at the end of the landing. A quick look past the opened door revealed the head of pink hair he subconsciously sought after._

 _She was kneeling on the floor. Her white robes were spread out on the floor, her hair cascading down her back. The room was lit by several luminescent orbs, hanging suspended in the air. In their pale red glow, the room appeared bathed in blood._

 _Walking inside, he saw the object of her attention. A large canvas spread out in front of her, and her gaze seemed to fix on it. An abstract painting, he recognised the central theme; a cherry tree._

 _"Who-?" the half formed question died on his lips as she spoke._

 _"This is the last gift I received from him." her eyes were closed, but her demeanor was calm and serene._

 _He realised she was talking about her brother, but as far as she knew, he did not know about that._

 _"Why do you bring me here?" he asked, voicing a question that had been on his mind for quite some time. "This house, this beach. The same place. Why here?"_

 _She turned towards him, her eyes opening to reflect an array of emotions. He saw the melancholy anguish in her eyes, which were vivid as windows to her soul._

 _"This is where I once found myself in a blissful peace and a new life. And this was where I lost everything I once held dear to me."_

 _"Your brother." he said in an undertone._

 _She looked up at him, rising to her feet as she walked closer to him until she looked up into his eyes a mere inches from his face. His mind involuntarily strayed to her lips, and he found himself remembering how soft and sweet they tasted when he captured them earlier._

 _"I lost my brother..." she started, softly, before adding, her voice barely above a whisper, "...I lost you too..."_


	20. The toad

**Hi there! Can I just say to begin with, _Thank you soo much_ to everyone who's read and followed since my last update. This chapter's for you guys! A special thank you to my reviewers. As fellow authors, I'm sure you know how much of a help it is when someone compliments or criticizes your work. **

**To Sariko-chan: Thanks for your wonderful review and I hope the next few chapters do not disappoint!**

 **To Anne: I'm not sure when I plan on making her find out, but I hope you have a pack of Kleenex on you at the time. But Sakura's strong; she'll get through it**

 **So a slight lull in a story, and a surprise at the end! I hope you enjoy, and the next chapter's on the way!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

24th April, 2032, FBI, San Francisco division

"Why're you here?" Shikamaru asked, looking up lazily.

"The team's having a meeting upstairs. You're required." Sakura said.

He nodded, saying, "I'll be there...eventually." he turned away, looking into his computer again.

When she didn't leave, he turned to face her again, eyebrow raised. "Is there something else you wanted?"

"Actually, there is. It's not particularly related to the case though." she started, taking out a few pictures of the list she had found in the Uchiha office. It had been on her mind for a while now, but she had been far too sidetracked with...other things to follow up on it. If one person could help her find out more about that list with her brother's name on it, and what it meant, while keeping it secret from the others, then it would be Shikamaru. That was, assuming he wouldn't be too lazy to start.

She handed him the pictures and said, "If you had some spare time, could you draw me up some files related to the stuff mentioned here?" she asked.

She could have sworn he muttered something like 'troublesome women' as he looked through the first page. He looked at her questioningly as he asked, "What does any of this have to do with you?"

"Can you just not ask questions and look it up when you're not sleeping?" she said, exasperatedly.

"Hmm...I'll do it...maybe...eventually..." he yawned loudly.

After a long pause, a stifled snore drew the conclusion that he had fallen asleep.

Stupid male! To be indolent enough to fall asleep mid conversation! She abruptly changed that with a sharp blow to his head. While he grumbled, rubbing his head, she stalked to the second stop of the morning before she met up with the team to get on with the case.

She really hoped that Shikamaru would come up with something related to that list. If it was a lead on her brother...

She couldn't even begin to believe that he might still be alive.

Walking into the analytics unit she found her favorite white haired, toad like, perverted as hell forensic analyst sitting with his feet on the desk ogling a centre page of the Playboy magazine. She cleared her throat causing him to drop the magazine and straighten up, grinning ridiculously when he recognised her.

"Sakura!" he said, getting out of his chair to join her at the doorway. Raising a suggestive eyebrow, he asked,"Are you here to finally take me up on that offer to assist me with my research?" His 'research' being 'inspiration' for writing pornographic novels.

For all his faults, he was a nice person who was an elderly figure in Sakura's life. So she put up with all of his perverted antics. That did not mean, however, that she endorsed them.

"First of all: I'm over thirty years younger than you, so gross. Secondly: It's about the case we're working on." Sakura said, holding her palms up defensively.

The older man smiled, his eyes creasing warmly. "What have my little tadpoles been up to recently?"

He already knew about the case, so she filled him in on the events of the previous evening about how they found Yuki. "I took her to our doctor. Apparently she seems fine, but that doesn't account for her fever. We talked about this at home last night, and it might be a long shot, but some things don't add up. We think she's escaped from somewhere. And that somewhere might have something to do with our case."

"I see...she must be in shock. You're taking her to a trusted doctor I presume?" the other man asked, his manner serious.

"Family doctor. We're not crazy enough to take her to a hospital at midnight. Hinata's running her through psychological therapy." Sakura answered.

"Why don't you bring her in tomorrow and I can have a look? If there's something she knows, Hinata would no doubt be the breast- er, _best_ bet to make her talk, but I can look her over and run some tests, you know...see if there's anything we could use." The perverted old man said.

"I figured you'd say that. I've got a blood sample with me now so you can have a look at that if you want. I'll bring her in now."

She handed over the small cylinder that contained a second sample of Yuki's blood which she had taken that morning. Jiraya clapped his hands together saying, "Now see that! That, is why you're my favourite tadpole out of this batch! Always one step ahead! And what a perky figure too...bring Ino and Hinata along with you tomorrow why don't you!"

She suppressed the desire to bash him on the head like she had Shikamaru and turned to walk away.

"I'll run some tests and tell you what I find, okay?" He called over her shoulder.

She muttered a vague 'thanks' before walking towards the office upstairs. Their case had been at an annoying standstill, and there was lots of work to be done to solve it before the week was up.

"Sakura? Why are you here?" Their unit chief stared down at her from the top of the staircase. Hinata stood beside him, looking down with a worried expression.

"What's there for me not to be here?" Sakura asked, confused.

"I thought I told you to take a day off. You were in an _explosion_ yesterday. That doesn't call for you to spring back to work the following morning." he reasoned.

She glared at him.

"Besides, how did you get past our mother? I thought she was going to have you under house arrest?" Hinata added.

"I slipped out" she replied.

Neji pressed a hand to his temples in exasperation. "You'll be of no good to the investigation if you're not in working condition. Hinata, go home with her and make sure she doesn't try to come back. You can try and see if Yuki knows anything, or maybe take her back to Tsunade."

 _They're just concerned for you._ Sakura thought to herself as she bit back a retort. She didn't like being restricted.

She reluctantly agreed to Hinata taking her back home.

"Hey Hinata..."

"Yes Sakura?"

"I don't suppose you'd have a problem with me walking with Yuki up to Tsunade's office? I think she's due for a checkup. Especially seeing as her fever hasn't subsided yet."

"I'll go with you. We can't really talk to her until she's healthier."

Hinata had a degree in psychology, and supervised all civilian interactions. She also took part in interrogation through behavioural analysis. She had been trying to speak to Yuki and coax the poor girl out of her shell the previous night, as well as the following morning, but so far with no luck. She was scared beyond words and sick from some unknown cause. It had left all of them worried.

* * *

"It really is too good a day to waste sitting cramped up in a stuffy car, isn't it?" Hinata asked as they walked along a street not far from the sight of the explosion last night.

Of course, the police had cleared it up and the FBI were keeping it quiet until they moved on to another investigation. There was no point in attracting unwanted attention- they had passed it off as a gas leak.

"It really is." Sakura agreed.

Yuki walked between the two women. She was still quite weak, but the medicine they gave her that morning had temporarily improved her condition.

They walked past an open ice cream store and Sakura saw Yuki looking at it...oddly.

Of course, all things aside, Yuki was only a small child. Like all kids, she must love toys and treats.

Her brother always used to come up with small treats or trinkets back when they lived on Lost C oast. Sometimes it would be sour candy, or truffles, or small toys or necklaces or stuffed animals. Sometimes he would find a whole box of ice creams or a dozen cupcakes - small treats that would make her squeal in delight and hug him tightly. They would spend a whole afternoon enjoying the rarity. She never used to question his sources then.

She smiled sadly at the memory, looking down at Yuki, before suddenly changing there course towards the ice cream shop. Hinata nodded in approval as she saw where Sakura was headed.

Hinata leaned over to nudge Yuki gently and ask, "Is there any particular flavor of ice cream you want."

Yuki shook her head quickly looking slightly embarrassed as though she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Sakura laughed and got them three ice creams- if Yuki was having one, it was only fair the two of them joined in too.

As they were turning to walk away, she heard a shout followed by a boisterous cry of, "Hey! Hinata! Sakura!"

They turned around to see a strange blonde haired man with blue eyes, whiskers, and an orange jacket walking towards them.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Sakura asked politely. She was contemplating how fast they could run away from this seemingly insane man, until she noticed Hinata looking at him with a hint of recognition.

Then it hit her- Whiskers? They only knew one person with said 'whiskers'.

"Sasuke? Why is your hair like that?" Hinata asked.

"Are you trying to disguise yourself or something?" Sakura asked with a laugh, reaching a hand out to tug at what must have been a yellow wig.

Sasuke yelped in pain and pulled away, rubbing his head saying, "Hey! This hair is the real deal! I swear! And why are you calling me that idiot's nam-" he looked up in shock, as though realising he had made a big mistake, and covering his face with his hands.

"What was that?" Sakura asked, slightly confused.

"Nothing!" he said through his fingers. "I absolutely did not say anything just now! I did not just accidentally let slip that I'm not Sasuke and Naruto's not Naruto and I'm actually Naruto and he's actually me and I'm actually him and we just switched roles by accident on that day in his office! I absolutely did not! It wasn't me- you know?" he said in one incredibly rushed breath.

"Excuse me?"

* * *

 **That's all folks!**

 **Stay tuned for more.**

 **And most importantly, Read, review, follow and favourite!**

 **~Raven**


	21. Fox out of the bag

**A/n:Thanks again for all of the support. Who knows if you knew this, but yesterday was Doctor's day...So happy doctor's day to all the people who work day in day out in tedious hospitals all day! And happy doctor's day to Dr Tsunade too! ;)  
**

 **Hope you guys continue to enjoy this. If you found Sakura a bit ooc, just remember that she hasn't fallen for Sasuke- at least head over heels fallen- as of now. This chapter is mainly Sakura's inner conflict though.**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah guys, I _do_ own Naruto. And Michael Jackson has a tour in East Asia this month. **

* * *

24th April, Ice cream cafe, en route to Tsunade's Office, San Francisco, California.

"Excuse me?"

Hinata asked at the same time Sakura did, not quite sure if they heard him properly.

"I'm so sorry!"

"W-why don't you say that again?" Hinata asked slowly.

The blonde brought a hand up to his lips and mimicked zipping them shut, before seeing Sakura's murderous glare in his direction, which prompted him to say, "I said that... This place has Ramen flavoured ice cream!"

"What? Gross!" Yuki piped in. Sakura hadn't even known that Yuki was listening to them.

Hinata put a hand on his shoulder and said, "We're not going to bite. We just want to hear it from you again, make sure we heard you properly."

He looked from Sakura, to Hinata, to Yuki, distraught, before finally giving in, his voice competing in softness with a mouse as he said, "I said..." he took a deep breath, "That-i'm-not-acctually-Sasuke-Uchiha-and-my-real-name-is-Naruto-Uzumaki-and-the-same-goes-for-the-person-you-call-Naruto-who-is-actually-an-idiot-called-Sasuke-who-is-the-real-head-of-the-Uchiha-Corporation"

He exhaled deeply.

Sakura headed towards a small open patio with coffee tables and wooden chairs, having 'Naruto' and Hinata follow, and sat down with Yuki. Hinata occupied the seat next to her as Sakura said, "Sit down and explain from the beginning."

He looked between the three of them again, and gulped saying, "It all began on that day when you both visited to make that small investigation."

He went on to explain how he freaked out when he saw that he, who had been in charge for the day, had kept the FBI waiting for so long, and so he decided to pose as Sasuke for the day. He sincerely apologized while adding that he hadn't imagined they'd be meeting each other on multiple occasions afterwards, and that he had only kept up the facade because his friend had asked him to.

"Sasuke's so gonna kill me." he added in an undertone.

Sakura reeled in shock from his explanation. _What the hell?_ This person- Naruto, or Sasuke, or whoever he was- was trying to tell her that he had _willingly_ switched his identity with his boss and best friend and deceived _her_ \- a federal agent. And both parties- stupid bastards at that- had an equal part in the ridiculous affair.

 _How on earth was she supposed to react to that?_ Shock, to begin with. They had been lying- not only to her- but to Hinata and the rest of her team, and even on the official reports, which would mean, indirectly, lying to the government. That was a criminal offence in multiple ways. And their reasons? What on earth was going on?

She inadvertently felt her mind stray back to a firm, hard body pressing her smaller, slender frame against the cool body of a black sedan, and soft warm lips upon hers, ravishing her mouth with a groan that sent pleasurable shivers down her spine.

If the 'Naruto' she had known had been a facade, then what did that make _that_? Yesterday...what name should she be giving to their physical intimacy? She hadn't given it much thought at the time- she was not one to look left right center for a relationship, but she _had_ enjoyed her interaction with 'Naruto' the previous night- not only the physical aspect of their contact, but his character in general. He was such a refreshing change from so many of the people she was used to. If she were to start a relationship, above all else, the one thing she looked for in a man who appealed to her was commitment. And- dare she mention it- she had decided to give 'Naruto' a chance to show that level of commitment- and perhaps, for once, she had lowered the walls she so cautiously built around herself to protect her fragile heart, marginally- just enough to give her a chance at a relationship.

And now it all felt like a harsh slap in the face. The one time she decides to indulge in a relationship of that sorts, and it happens to be a deceitful coward who, with plenty of opportunity to expose the truth to her, chose instead to lie behind another man's identity. And she- so gullible and trusting- had never once even thought to doubt him.

All of the questions he had answered as 'Naruto Uzumaki' must have been a lie too. And what about the man she had called 'Sasuke Uchiha'? He had been lying too...though he seemed too innocent and eccentric to mean any harm by it, he still lied to Hinata. She couldn't stand for that either.

The detail bothering her the most, she realised, was _why did he do it?_ Why did Naruto- or Sasuke- or whatever she wanted to call him- lie to her. If she went by her first impression of him and considered him a manwhore, or a playboy, then it just didn't add up. Why would a rich and powerful man with a taste for attractive women disguise himself as an ordinary orphan with a desk job? If he was truly trying to toy with her physically, then wouldn't 'hot rich billionaire' come across better than 'subordinate of said hot rich billionaire'?

She could try and argue that he was perhaps looking for somebody who appreciated him for more than a face value. Someone who didn't need him to be a billionaire, or rich or sexy, to stand by and support him.

Still, something was very fishy about the whole affair; but she was far too shocked, hurt and angry to pay it much heed.

She had been a fool to trust him, and she chided herself as such. He was an arrogant, deceitful bastard.

A liar.

 _She sat up in bed with a scream, panting heavily. A chilly sea breeze swept through the open shutters, but beads of sweat still rolled down her back as her clothes clung to her skin._

 _She was in a state of near terror as she shook violently._

 _A warm hand rested on her back as another offered her a glass of water. She spun round and took the glass of water, the cool water quelling her fear slightly, as her shivers subsided._

 _Her brother wrapped her into a strong embrace as she buried herself in his chest, shielding herself from the trepidity that invaded her slumber._

 _He soothed her, his voice laced with soft whispers of "It's okay", "It was just a nightmare", "You're safe now", "I'm here"._

 _She unfurled from her rigid form as he asked, "What did you see?"_

 _She shook her head vigorously and clung to him tightly._

 _"Brother?" her voice was small and frightened._

 _"Yes?" he asked with utmost patience._

 _"You won't ever leave me alone there again, will you?" she asked._

 _After a small pause in which he hugged her closer to him, he answered. "No I won't."_

 _"I-is that a promise?"_

 _"Yes. Yes it is."_

She smiled bitterly at the memory of her beloved brother. That was one promise he could never keep.

 _He had promised. And when he left, the last name assigned to him was a liar. Not out of spite, nor anger. She looked back at her brother's disappearance with anguish. She had no idea of the circumstances of his disappearance. No matter why he left her, she could never bring herself to be angry with him. Just...sad._

She bore inherent malevolence towards dishonesty. Sometimes, given her line of work, it was necessary. But she hated people who couldn't face her without hiding cowardly behind another farce.

She hated liars- and that hatred boiled her blood in anger as she thought about how she, to some degree, trusted- had trusted- Mr Sasuke Uchiha.

 _What a mistake._

Her line of thought was interrupted as she heard Hinata laughing at something Sa-Naruto had said. Looking at the Hyuga, and her easy acceptance of the blonde, who was trying to make conversation with Yuki in earnest, and telling jokes to bring a smile on Hinata's face, Sakura decided that at least one of the two men was sincere. She could forgive Naruto, she decided, as she smiled amusedly when Yuki pointed out a large blob of ice cream on his forehead.

Sighing, she said, "Hinata? Do you think we should get going to the good Doctor's office now?"

Naruto looked up saying, "Doctor? Who's unwell?"

Hinata looked down at Yuki, and Naruto followed her gaze, a small 'oh' escaping his breath.

"I think you're right, Sakura. We should head off." Hinata said, standing up.

"Umm...so you're not mad at me and about to cut off all ties, are you? Hinata? Sakura?" he asked hopefully.

Sakura laughed as Hinata said, "No, Naruto, we aren't."

"Not with _you._ " Sakura added.

Naruto's shoulders sagged with relief as he said, "Thank goodness! And...umm..." he turned to Sakura, "Please don't be too hard on that idiot Sasuke. Forgive him at least! Even accept my apology on his behalf! He may have kept his identity, but he's a good person! I swear it on my life! I'm sure he's sorry about making you think he was Naruto too! And I can prove it."

"Some things are up to him to prove. And there's some things that go past a simple 'sorry'." she watched his look of excitement switch with one of disappointment. Feeling a hint of sympathy, she said, "Naruto."

He looked up.

"You're free to drop by at the mansion to visit whenever you want."

His face lightened up, breaking into a grin, and he thanked them and hopped off, leaving her and Hinata to take Yuki to Tsunade's office.

* * *

 **Was pressed for time while writing this, so if it doesn't end on a note you like, sorry for that.**

 **Anyone wondered what happened to Sakura's inner in my story? Well, I'll let you in on a hint; I have thought about it and there's a real good reason why she's not got an active inner...yet. Anyone want to take a guess at what I mean?**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Read, Review, Follow and Favourite!**

 **~Raven**


	22. Why does it feel so right?

**A/n: Happy Independence Day to all you folks in America! *Fireworks burst in the background***

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter. If the last one was Sakura's thoughts, then this one's for Sasuke!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The plot line, Yuki, and any other OCs are mine. All MINE! Hahaha...**

* * *

24th April, 2032, Office of Tsunade Senju.

"I-it seems to be healing fine. There's only a small scar left." Tsunade said to Sasuke as the doctor removed his dressing and inspected his wound. Of course, she would be unable to comprehend that Sakura had healed him, so to her it would seem like an anomaly, which explained her nervously surprised tone. Only Sasuke and his contact knew that Sakura had used her ability - unknowingly- to heal him.

Tsunade was interrupted mid speech as Sasuke's phone rang, for the third time in the last two minutes. Sighing, he took out his mobile and checked the caller ID- and seeing Naruto's name on the screen, he ignored it, muting his phone. The blonde idiot wouldn't even let him visit a doctor in peace.

"Well, it seems like there should be no problem from now on. I would advise you to refrain yourself from strenuous activity for a week or so- but there should be no need for you to have it seen to again." she told him.

Nodding, he stood up and put his shirt back on, before heading out of the door.

As he left the building, he spotted a familiar shade of pink hair heading towards him. Well, not towards _him,_ but towards the building behind him.

He thought back to his conversation last night after he returned to his apartment. If he was going to listen to that man's advice, it would be best to tell her that their intimacy the previous evening meant nothing and that he had no interest towards her. The sooner he got that over with, the better.

Sakura was accompanied by Yuki and her friend/adopted sister Hinata. As they approached him, he saw Sakura recognise him and motion to the other two to go on ahead while she came towards him.

He could try to let her down lightly. She seemed to be level- headed enough. Once they were face to face, he opened his mouth to speak. "I-"

"Last night was a mistake." she interjected.

He blinked. Wasn't that supposed to be his line?

"Excuse me?" he asked in confusion.

"Last night. It was a spur of the moment thing- a big mistake. Don't expect anything of the sort to happen again."

Before he could respond, she turned around and walked into the building.

It partially stung his pride that she had so bluntly rejected him, especially before he could do so to her. But that was not why he remained in a state of confused disbelief as he watched her retreating figure.

Technically, there was no problem with what she said. He was going to do the same, and her actions only helped his cause _._

 _Then why, oh why did he want to run after her evanescent figure, and tell her that she was wrong?_

"SAAAASSSSUKEEEEEE!"

Sasuke turned to watch an obnoxiously loud blonde racing towards him arms outstretched.

He sighed and sidestepped to prevent the obvious collision that would have otherwise arisen. He was far too pensive to even notice the blonde bent over beside him, hands on his knees, panting heavily.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted when he finally stood up properly.

"Scream it a little louder why don't you?" Sasuke finally said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"What's gotten _your_ pants in a twist?" the blonde said.

"What do you want? I thought I left you in charge at the office."

"Umm..well, you see..." Naruto started, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of his head as he normally did when he had messed up big time.

"Don't tell me you blew up the building." Sasuke said. When it came to Naruto, you never knew what to expect.

"No! I didn't! I mean, I don't know if it's blown up or not, since I left Sai in charge while I went to get some ice cream!"

Sasuke shook his head, miffed, as he said, "What kind of an idiot leaves their job for a ramen flavoured ice cream?"

Naruto huffed indignantly and said, "What kind of loser doesn't listen to their best friend when they're trying to tell them something important?"

"Best friend? Where?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Here!" Naruto said, thumb on his chest. "Now listen!"

Sasuke fell silent. After three minutes of Naruto mumbling and twiddling his thumbs, Sasuke said, "And what am I supposed to be listening to?"

Naruto looked steadily at his thumbs while he said "See...the thing is...while I was getting ice cream,...I-kinda-ran-into-Hinata-and-Sakura-and-said-hi-although-I-wasn't-in-disguise-and-now-they-know-all-about-the-identity-switch..." His last words were blurred together, and had it been anyone other than Sasuke, they would never have been able to understand him.

Sasuke glowered at him.

"I'm reallyreallyreallyreallyreally sorry!" he added.

Sasuke heaved a deep sigh and said, "Just get back to work. If I find a single document misplaced when I get back home, I'm disowning you."

Naruto's eyes widened as he nodded vehemently and sprinted off.

Sasuke buried his face in his palm as he thought over Naruto's antics. That meant that Sakura had already known about the change in his identity when he tried to talk to her. And that explained her reaction.

It was for the best, and the end result was ultimately the same. Sasuke had been with other women before, and she was nothing special.

At least, that was what he tried to tell himself as he returned to his apartment.

 _Yet when he allowed the thought of them carrying on from where they left off previously to intrude on his thoughts, why did the idea feel so...right?_

* * *

 **Stay tuned for more!  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **And as for Sasuke, he's falling for her big time, and boy is he done for!**

 **~Raven**


	23. Zombies and Toxins

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter! I've decided to fix Saturday as the day I update on, but if I finish other chapters during the week, then there'll be chapters on Weekdays as well.**

 **Apologies if this chapter isn't to your taste or boring or absurd or whatever you want to name it..**

 **A big shout out to everyone who's stuck with me till this point.**

 _ **Disclaimer: Naruto is mine! Just Kidding!**_

* * *

24th April 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, time- 18:07

"Hello?" Sakura said, answering her phone as she filled herself a glass of water back at home. Hinata had gone out earlier to return to the office after they had brought Yuki back home. Nobody had come home since then.

"Sakura. Where are you?" Arisa's voice came from the speaker.

"At home. Why? Should I be elsewhere?" she asked.

"How's Yuki doing?" Arisa asked. She sounded stressed and concerned.

Whenever a new orphan came to their house- which wasn't _very_ often, but not rare either- all of the existing members of the household seemed to make the child one of their top priorities. It was sort of like that for Sakura when she was adopted too. So the concerned part of Arisa's attitude made sense.

"She's fine. Mother's reading her to sleep now. Are you okay?" Sakura said, sitting down on the couch.

"Me?-I'm fine. Everyone at the office is mega stressed and annoyed with this case. No new leads yet. Are you okay?"

"There was nothing wrong with me to begin with. Except maybe the fact that I'm going stir crazy being stuck indoors while you're all at work."

"Great. Then you can join us tonight." Arisa said.

"Wait-what? Join you where? On field work?" Sakura asked.

"Wish lounge at around 8.00 . We're getting some drinks and then I'll let you know what we found out today with the case and all."

"Who's going to be there? Anyone I should know?"

"Well, Itachi seemed quite interested in you earlier, so I invited him. His choice if he comes or not." she said nonchalantly.

Sakura frowned. "You're trying to set me up with him?" After what Ino had tried to do with her and Naru-erm, Sasuke, she was quite fed up with her friends trying to meddle with her personal life.

"No. Just come along. I think we all need the breather." Arisa said.

Begrudgingly, Sakura complied leaving the room to shower and change into some black jeans and a sleek red crop top.

* * *

24th April, 2032, FBI San Francisco Division, Forensics and Analytics unit, time- 19:16

 _This is impossible._

Jiraya stared in shock at the toxicology reports in front of him.

He blinked, shaking head, and hesitantly opening his eyes again to look at the paper.

Sure enough, the reports were just as he had read them.

 _But that shouldn't be possible._

He thought he was being paranoid when he first saw the little girl's blood test results.

But seeing the toxicology reports in front of him, he felt his stomach crawl into his throat. A wave of dread rose within him.

If he were to go by these reports, then Yuki's body was host to a near-fatal toxin.

One that would help the body stabilize internal changes.

But that was not why the compound shocked him so much.

Only three people in existence were supposed to know about it- two, excluding him.

And they had all sworn to abandon all research related to it, never to so much speak of it again.

Yet here he had proof that it was in use again- on _children_.

And that was what shocked him.

If his sixth sense had anything to say about it, then he could say with deadly accuracy that this was far bigger than a simple toxin resurfacing. His danger radar screamed at him to stay out of it before falling victim to the implications. But instead, he grabbed his coat and headed out of the building.

Two people other than him knew about the toxin in Yuki's blood. If he wanted any inclination as to what was going, then he had a pretty good idea where to start off.

* * *

24th April, 2032, Wish lounge, Folsom St, San Francisco, Time- 20:43

"The majority of those zombie makeup sketches are actually modelled on ordinary people." Itachi said, leaning against the bar counter with a drink in hand.

Sakura laughed, "Oh really? How?" she raised an eyebrow skeptically at Itachi.

They had already been at the bar for quite some time now, and Neji and Arisa were running late, so they had started on the drinks before they could arrive, as she got to properly know Itachi. She was beginning to think that Arisa had indeed set this up so that she would be left alone with Itachi for quite some time before the others could arrive. But she decided she didn't exactly mind. She found Itachi to be more than friendly, and he was polite and funny as well. He would make a good friend to have.

Itachi pointed at one of the bartenders, who had a pug shaped nose and looked not taller than 4 feet.

"Take him for instance. His nose would count as the basis for the design. We'd mess up the ear to make his head look lopsided, and add beady black eyes. Voila! Zombie at the ready!"

Sakura almost doubled over laughing at the comparison. The mentioned man looked like a cross between a goblin and a dwarf. Zombie indeed! He looked over to where the two were laughing, as if he knew they were talking about him. They quickly turned away upon seeing the whole of his face.

"Did you see that? He could totally act in the Zombie Apocalypse!" Sakura said between laughs.

Itachi said, "He could even compete with Kisame. If you leave aside the height factor that is. I've seen five year olds taller than that."

It had been a long time since Sakura last laughed enough to have her stomach ache. She was _definitely_ intoxicated- so was he.

"If you're so involved in the showbiz sector, then why aren't you an actor? I mean, you're quite attractive and seem to have the charisma for it too..."

His demeanor changed quite abruptly to a more sombre apparel. "I used to be a part of my father's business. When he died, the entire enterprise was left to me."

She noted his use of the past tense. "What happened?"

"I had a falling out with my father before he passed on. i had some problems with the way things were run and ultimately left."

"Oh."

"It looks like you're having trouble believing that I could fall out with my father to that degree." Itachi said after a while.

Sakura looked up mildly surprised, "Oh, no...It's just that, I guess although Hiashi and his wife are good parents to me, I never really knew my parents. So I've never really properly understood that kind of familial issue. But hey, everyone's different. I'm no one to judge."

"People who suffer from hardships early on in life tend to be far more humble and appreciative than those who have their life handed to them on a silver platter." he mused

"Are you putting yourself in the latter group?" she asked.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

Sakura pondered his question before answering, "No. Not really."

Shortly after, he asked, "Do you ever plan on starting a family of your own?"

She contemplated the question for a while before saying, "With a guy? I don't think I want to for now... But even if I never get married or anything, as long as I'm part of the Hyugas then I'll always have a family of kids to look after. You know how much we love to adopt- I think that's even more so because Hiashi's wife was an orphan herself."

"I see..." he said.

"What about you? Are you in a relationship, or engaged or married or something?" she asked.

The other man was quiet for a long time before, before he sighed and said, "I guess it does no harm to tell you."  
She stayed quiet allowing him to speak.

"I once loved a girl who suffered from a hereditary disease." he said, smiling bitterly as he said, "She died when I was 16. It's been 14 years since then."

Sakura knew firsthand how hard it was to loose someone important to you. "What was her name?" she asked softly.

"I don't like talking about her." Itachi said softly, "But there's never been anyone else ever since. "

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sakura said. She knew those words were meaningless, but saying nothing felt even worse.

They sat in amicable silence each dealing with their own memories which resurfaced in light of their topic of conversation.

"Wait...if you were sixteen then and its been fourteen years since then...you're trying to say that you're 30!?" she asked suddenly, incredulous.

He looked at her as though it were obvious. "Why? Do I look older?"

"I had taken you for 27 at the oldest!" Sakura interjected. Were her judgement skills really that bad? She didn't think so. Itachi's timeless appearance, however, didn't give her much basis on which to allot him an age in her head.

"If it helps I mistook you for a fifteen year old when Arisa first introduced you to me." Itachi commented nonchalantly.

"Hey!" she huffed indignantly, pushing him lightly in annoyance.

He responded with a chuckle and poked her playfully in the forehead as he commented on something else which made her laugh.

Yes, she was getting on with him fine indeed.

* * *

 **I had fun writing about zombies. And if you think Itachi's Ooc, then I'll just have you keep in mind that he _is_ a friendly guy in general and add to that the fact that he's in a bar with friends...yeah, I think it's justified.**

 **But if you still think he's Ooc, it's up to you.**

 **Stay tuned for more!**

 **~Raven**


	24. A new lead

**To those who celebrated it, Hope you enjoyed Tanabata! Since it's Bastille day [14th July], Happy Independence day to you folks in France! Vive la France!  
**

 **A special thanks to everyone who's reviewed and favourited. It's really nice to hear what you guys think about where the story is going, so please keep it up!**

 **Read and Enjoy!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

24th January, 2032, En route to Pacific Heights, Time- 20:35

 _Memoirs of 25th January, 2013  
_

 _"I'm resigning." Dr Senju's voice echoed through the laboratory._

 _Both men turned towards the haggard doctor._

 _She looked as though she had seen a ghost._

 _"We all are." Orochimaru said after a long pause._

 _"T-this line of research was never meant to be discovered." Tsunade said as she threw the file she was holding on the floor._

 _"It's far too dangerous to stay in normal human hands." Jiraya said. "We stop this now and we make sure it never gets out again."  
_

 _Orochimaru threw another file onto the floor disgustedly. "What we know stays between us. Nobody should ever make the same mistake again. And to be sure- we won't meet again after this- and won't associate with the same research."_

 _The decision had lingered on their minds for a while now. They had discussed what discontinuation of their work would and would not include or extend to. But with the push brought from Tsunade's resignation, things were finally finalized._

 _"This counts as an oath. Everything we've done till now ends with this. We take it with us to the grave. And nobody else will have to die as a direct or indirect consequence of our actions." Jiraya finished, adding another file to the pile on the floor. "That's the last of our data."_

 _Orochimaru and Jiraya walked out of the door while Tsunade pulled out a lighter, which she lit._

 _Two vats of oil lay near the heap of folders._

 _"Everything we've worked on till now burns with this room."_

 _The lighter fell from her hand as she turned and stalked out of the room._

 _Five minutes after they left the building, it blew up._

 _That was the last time Jiraya ever saw either of them._

Jolting out of memory lane, Jiraya found himself at his destination in front of Tsunade's office.

Jiraya looked at the large, looming building in front of him. He had known all along where Dr Tsunade and Orochimaru had established themselves independently. But true to their agreement, he never once made an attempt to contact them.

How would Tsunade react to seeing him after twenty years from that day?

He wasn't given much time to ponder that answer as the woman herself walked out of the building wrapped in a thin overcoat.

She didn't notice his car as she walked onto the main street, signalling for a cab.

Was she about to pack up and go home? He knew that she lived in Pacific Heights.

But she was headed in a direction opposite that of her residence.

Then what?

Revving the engine, he started following her.

* * *

24th April, 2032, Wish lounge, San Francisco, Time- 20:35

"Remind me again _why_ I let you convince me to come here with you?" An incredible annoyed Sasuke Uchiha asked.

"Well, when my only friends are a romantically challenged sadist and a socially backward emotionless bastard, how can I _not_ convince you to come with me to a bar?" Naruto supplied.

"You flatter me." Sai quipped.

"You know what? I don't want to put up with you tonight, I'm leaving." Sasuke said, suddenly vexed by Naruto.

"Aww come on. Humour me! I know you've been down all day, and I know that me being such a blabbermouth earlier on today didn't help at all! So just loosen up and let me make it up to you!" Naruto asked in earnest, adding in an undertone, "And please stop talking to me as though I'm the stupidest person on earth."

Sasuke said, "You _are_ the most retarded person on the planet. No simile required."

"You can act all stoic and emotionless with your clients, but _we_ know you best. You're super annoyed- let loose a little!"

Much to his chagrin, Sasuke allowed himself to be towed into the bar and get roped into their conversation.

"So Sasuke!" Naruto said five minutes later after he had dug into what must have been his third drink. He had a surprisingly low alcohol tolerance. "What happened on the date I set you up on yesterday?"

Sasuke was still sober. "I have half a mind to strangle you now that you admit to being responsible for last night at Ichido's."

"Don't be a stoic. Did you have fuuun with Sakura?" he slurred.

Sai asked, "What date?"

"I set him up with an FBI officer." he giggled, adding, "I think he enjoooyed himself."

"Oh? Now I'm intrigued. " Sai said, turning towards Sasuke.

"Did you ask her out again?" Naruto added.

"Considering that you openly revealed that we had been lying about our identities the whole time, I doubt all efforts you might have made were in vain." Sasuke said pointedly.

"Oh!Oh! Look who's getting all touchy. Maybe...don't tell me...did you kiss her?"

Sasuke was impassive as ever.

"Ohmygod! Sasuke Uchiha kissed a girl who _I_ set him up on a date with!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yell it a little louder why don't you." Sasuke said sarcastically.

Sai, seeming to take this literally, prepared to shout out before Naruto stopped him, bursting into laughter.

"I was right! You know what? I was right the first time! You like her! And not just like! You _liiiike_ like her!" he said, doing a miniature victory dance.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance, before he noticed a flash of pink hair in another part of the bar.

Lifting his head up, he narrowed in on the pinkette. Sure enough, Sakura Haruno was in the same place. Confused, Sasuke considered the fact that she might have been there to drink away whatever depression had caused her to act like she did that day. " _To reject him the way she did, she mustn't have been in her right mind." _He thought to himself with a smirk.

Then his eyes narrowed in on the man next to her.

He ignored and pushed aside the burning sensation which arose in his chest as he saw her laughing and joking with the other man in such a carefree manner. He was not jealous. There was no way that _he,_ Sasuke Uchiha, could be _jealous_ over a mere girl. He denied the pang of pain he felt as he recalled how he had felt after he had spoken to her earlier that day. Those emotions faded to a nonexistent throb in the back of his mind.

At least that's what he tried to tell himself.

Then the man next to her turned so that Sasuke could see his face.

And then, with a tidal wave of rising anger, he recognised the man she was with.

* * *

24th April, 2032, Orochimaru's laboratory, Time- 20:49

"My my, another visit so soon? It seems like you really do want to take me up on my offer. Am I right, Tsunade?" A reptilian voice asked.

"You cloned Cynthia!" Jiraya watched in hiding as Tsunade practically growled at Orochimaru.

How did Tsunade know about Yuki? And did Yuki really look that much like Cynthia? He hadn't officially met the child yet, so he wouldn't know. And did Tsunade also know about the toxin? Just what had these two gotten themselves wrapped up in now?

Orochimaru looked at her blankly. "I did what now?"

"That girl! She's a clone of Cynthia, you rat! How dare you!" Tsunade said.

"First of all, before you try to accuse me of destroying the moon while you're at it," he turned towards the doorway. Jiraya felt a stone drop in his stomach as he realised Orochimaru was looking a _him._ His chest constricted in anxious anticipation of the lines that were to follow.

"I know you're listening, so why don't you come on out and we can make this a three way reunion?" Orochimaru drawled.

Sheepishly, Jiraya stepped out of the shadows.

Tsunade exclaimed with surprise as she recognised him as she swore colourfully, while Orochimaru smirked amused.

Trying to dispel the awkward tension in the room, Jiraya tried for a laugh as he said, "So who was it that destroyed the moon?"

Tsunade's expression resembled that of a cornered animal. Ever since the incident which brought their research to an end, she had always been averse to problematic situations. Jiraya knew her well enough to know a least that much.

Orochimaru cleared his throat, causing Tsunade to divert her attention to him again.

"I believe you came here to speak with _me_?" Orochimaru said, adding, "If that is the case, do not waste my time."

Jiraya watched as Tsunade's eyes darted between him and Orochimaru. Behind her shrewd, calculating exterior, she looked scared and haunted.

"Since it's the three of us again, why don't you just answer the question honestly, Orochimaru. How long have you been experimenting on children again for?" She said after a long, deliberating pause.

According to police records on Orochimaru, he had shrunk to a small time dodgy scientist- nothing on his record enough to instigate an investigation- but not entirely clean either. But Jiraya had been sure that Orochimaru, although many things, was not one to go back on his word. It seems he was proven wrong.

"I don't see why you're adamant about accusing _me_ of all people when any one of us could be responsible for the continuation of the experimentation we originally began. " Orochimaru said.

Tsunade clenched her fists as she said, "What the heck is wrong with you!? Only two days ago you admitted to continuing your 'research' and asked me to help!"

"You must be deluding yourself." Orochimaru said. "You approached me and I gave you a proposal to collaborate on a _different_ branch of research which your scientific expertise would assist greatly."

"Don't twist my words! I went to accuse you of sending Kabuto as a proxy to do your dirty work, and you admitted to it!" She suddenly seemed to remember that Jiraya was in the room, and turned to him, saying, "You should know as well as anyone that he's restarted our experiments! I doubt he ever stopped! You're supposed to be FBI! DO something about it!"

Jiraya was unsure of what to believe at that point. Orochimaru had always had a knack for confusing people beyond all comprehensible scenarios. He seemed to have done that with Tsunade, and Jiraya too.

But with Tsunade's mention of Kabuto's connection with Orochimaru, Jiraya was more inclined to believe Tsunade's words. There must have been some basis to her accusations. Apparently Orochimaru had picked up where the three of them left off and continued what they had sworn to abandon. Which raised some unwanted questions, assertions, and suspicions.

The three of them were unanimous on keeping what had led them to stop their research a hidden fact. Aside from that- everything else was on the table.

"If you want me as FBI to 'do' something about it, that would mean I need a willing civilian witness. Are you offering?" Jiraya asked.

"N-No! Of course not!" Tsunade said. Which solidified the fact that she wanted nothing to do with an investigation which might investigate further into their past research.

"As much as I appreciate this cozy get together, and you're baseless accusations are amusing in the least, I think it's time you left. Assuming you don't wish to come to me with yet another collaborative proposal?" Orochimaru smirked with his last question, following which Jiraya turned and walked out the way he came, Tsunade not far behind.

Before he could walk to his car, Tsunade intercepted him.

"Jiraya."

He turned towards her with a questioning glance. She replied with a question.

"Have you told anyone about..." she hesitated, before lowering her tone and finishing with, "About our research from twenty years ago?"

The first time they were formally talking in twenty years, and for this? Typical of Tsunade.

"No." he said, straightening up, "I haven't."

A look of relief crossed her face before she fixed him with a stern gaze and turned away, saying, "Make sure it stays that way."

Jiraya watched her retreating figure

At least Jiraya had a lead.

Orochimaru was connected to Kabuto. That he had found out for sure. And Mr Yakushi was already under suspicion.

And though he had no proof or witness to aid in a formal warrant, he knew that Orochimaru was continuing his child experimentation with toxins and implementations akin to what he had used twenty years ago. In other words, he was the primary culprit for the case.

The problem was, without proof, they had no way of bringing him in.

Unanswered questions included; where was he getting his test subjects from? Where was he holding them? Experimentation like that need funding and facilities too- was the funding all from the Sahara group? And where was Orochimaru's actual laboratory?

But those were for the rest of his team to discover.

As for him, he brought his phone to his ear with the unit chief on the recieving end of the call.

"We finally have a lead."


	25. Ready?

**Another chapter bites the dust! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, but don't stop letting me know what you think! Do you like it? Do you want more fluff or to dive deeper into the plot? Some more feedback please!**

 **How many of you heard about what happened in France? Of course you all would know. I find the whole thing sickening. And sad. My prayers to all the lives lost and their families.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

April 24th, 2032, Wish lounge, San Francisco, Time- 9:27

After being one and a half hours late, Sakura sighed exasperatedly at her friends' arrival at the bar. You'd think being FBI officers they'd actually have a valid sense of time at least.

"Did we say 8? I would have sworn I told Arisa to tell you to come at 10!" Ino said, laughing as she leaned against Deidara's shoulder. Apparently they had decided to give dating a try after meeting at Tenten's party. If her past record was anything to go by, it wouldn't last long anyway.

Sakura glared at her blonde friend, who were giggling away at her expression, before turning to Arisa, who said, "Does it really matter if you were here an hour or two early? You didn't have anything better to do anyway. And it's not like you'd have been any help in the office either- the trail's gone cold. Frustrating, but it's almost like the case is stale."

Before Sakura could react to that Tenten interrupted by shoving two drinks into their hands. "This is a non professional get together! Leave all that stuff about work till tomorrow!"

Sakura surveyed the group. Ino and Deidara had been the last to arrive, with Arisa, Neji, Tenten and Lee coming in before that. Now, Neji talked quietly to Itachi while Ino was draped over her date, kissing him intensely between rounds of alcohol, and she was left watching in amusement as Lee challenged Tenten to a contest of drinking ability. It wasn't going well seeing as Lee seemed to have zero alcohol tolerance, and Tenten wasn't any better off. Arisa was trying to stop the two from rustling up a cacophony.

Someone from behind her said, "Hey Ugly."

She whirled around to see a familiar black haired, sickly pale man. " _Excuse me?_ "

She realised that he was the one who Sasuke- Erm, Naruto, called 'Sai'.

"I said hello. I believe that is supposedly appropriate conduct in this kind of situation." the other man said with a falsely empty smile.

"I'm talking about the other name you added at the end of that." she said, gritting her teeth and cracking her knuckles.

Sai gulped and said, "U-um, I meant Hello! I'm Sai from the Uchiha corporation! You're the one who's gotten Sasuke so depressed today, right?"

This was news to Sakura. She didn't consider the _brooding, sly, deceitful_ Sasuke Uchiha to be capable of being affected by a trivial matter such as herself.

"I have a name, and it's most certainly not _'Ugly_ '" her voice dripped with sarcasm, "Sakura will do fine."

The other man smiled genuinely and said, "Well, Sakura it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Are you here alone?" Sakura asked.

"No, actually Naruto had to-"

"Heeyy Sakura!" they were interrupted by Ino, who latched herself onto Sakura's shoulder and hummed wiggling her eyebrows, "Who's this hunk?"

Sakura resisted the urge to laugh at her friend's drunk state.

"Ino, this is-"

"I'm Sai-" he answered.

"-another idiot from the Uchiha corporation." Sakura finished.

"-friend to the man your friend is dating" Sai added.

A small pause preceded a loud exclamation of, "I was not dating him!", while Sai said, "I am not 'another idiot'!"

"Sakura! You were dating him all along and you never bothered to ask me for advice? After all the effort I put into setting you guys up?" Ino chided.

Sakura never got a chance to clear her name, as she was interrupted by Neji, who said, "We have to go now."

"What? But we only just got here!" Ino complained.

As Sakura dragged her away to where the others were gathering, Ino whipped out a piece of paper and wrote her number, adding a footnote of _call me_ and shoving the paper in Sai's hand.  
"I thought you were dating Deidara?" Sakura asked after they were out of earshot.

"Nobody said I was exclusive." Ino said with a seductive wink, as she flipped her hair and turned back to blow a kiss at Sai.

* * *

"We have a lead." Neji said once they were assembled in the living room of the Hyuga Mansion.  
This followed by exclamations of 'what' and 'who', and even Ino had sobered herself enough to think rationally in the situation. As rational as Ino can get, that is.

"He was incredibly vague as to how he figured out, but Jiraya has given us a solid suspect, and confirmed our suspicions of human experimentation. He isolated a compound in Yuki's blood akin to the toxin found in Yuan Lan's postmortem report." Neji explained, detailing the event's of his phone call to the rest of his team.

"He's not given us any proof though." Hinata argued.

" The toxin is associated with the experimentation he's referring to, and the scientist he's accused is a Professor Orochimaru, who apparently has a connection with Mr Kabuto Yakushi from the Sahara group. And Yuki and Yuan aren't the only children- apparently there are more. For some reason he seems unwilling to give us more details about the experimentation- but he says we should be able to find confirmation of these facts now that we know where to look."

"Human experimentation- this is sick. And where does the Sahara group, a real estate company, get off involving itself in this crap?" Choji asked between mouthfuls of hotdog.

"I looked into the Sahara group details. This isn't the first time kids have disappeared from those orphanages- the Sahara group sponsored orphanages are a perfect place to pluck up children from- nobody there really cares about a few kids gone here or there. At least, nobody who can help cares enough to try. It's been going on for at least twenty five years." Arisa said.

That's right. Arisa used to be in one of those orphanages too.

"If we decide to believe Jiraya, then we have to find solid proof that Kabuto and Orochimaru are connected." Sakura said.

"Shikamaru, draw up whatever intel you can get on Mr. Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru. There ought to be something connecting them there." Neji said.

"We can use the old report to get an arrest warrant to detain and interrogate Kabuto." Kiba said, cracking his knuckles at the idea.

"Umm...actually." Hinata interrupted. They all looked at her.

Small and meek, she said, "I don't think that report will be valid anymore."

"Why not?" Ino asked.

Knowing what she was about to say, Sakura finished for her. "It turns out that the person introduced to us as 'Naruto Uzumaki' was actually 'Sasuke Uchiha' and vice versa. So when I had those reports signed by Naruto when the person eyewitness to those papers was Mr Uchiha nullifies the report and all related warrants. I guess we'll have to wait till the reports are redrawn to make that kind of move legally."

The surprise on their faces was evident.

"What the hell? Who freaking does that? We're the FBI! You don't screw around with the FBI!" Kiba shouted, standing up.

Nobody was particularly happy with that, and it only served to delay their investigation.

"But we still need to find out what experiments they're doing? If they're holding more children, we need to know where, and have them saved , while their captors are persecuted!" Choji said, no longer stuffed with food.

"Not to mention, we should figure out their funding sources. That kind of operation- if it's anything like what you said Jiraya described- would need money. Are we still supposing that the Sahara Group is responsible? Or do we put the Uchiha Corporation back under suspicion? we need to interrogate Sasuke Uchiha at the very least." Shikamaru said.

"We can't wait for the reports to be redrawn to interrogate Kabuto either. For all we know, they could know we're onto them by that time. It seems we're at a standstill." Neji said with an annoyed frown.

Everyone was quiet for a while, letting the implications of their new lead fully settle in. It was quite obvious that the only real way to find out more as of now was to interrogate Kabuto. But seeing as they had already searched his building and come up blank, the chances of them getting another warrant so quickly were low.

"I don't see why we still can't interrogate Kabuto." Arisa finally said slyly. The mischievous glint in her eyes spoke volumes about how much the more cautious among them would oppose her idea.

She received several suspiciously wary looks as Kiba dumbly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just because we don't have a warrant, doesn't mean we can't interrogate Kabuto. It just means that we can't do it as the FBI." Arisa said, a smile curling on her lips.

"What are you suggesting?" Neji asked.

Sakura smiled too, catching on to the idea. "We hand in our identification and do this the old fashioned way."


	26. Set

**True to my word, here we are a Saturday away. It's longer so hope you guys enjoy.  
**

 **I don't think this is really necessary, but, WARNING: Minor violence in the latter half of the chapter.**

 **What do you think of the story so far?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

April 24, 2032, Vehicle of Sasuke Uchiha, San Francisco Time- 9:53

Sasuke sighed vexedly as he drove a very drunk Naruto back to his apartment. NOTHING was more annoying than having to put up with the blonde idiot while he was drunk, so it was with much relief that Sasuke had finally gotten Naruto to fall asleep in the back of the car.

But still, fifteen minutes later, he was startled by a loud wail/scream/dying cat.

"Hinaaataaaa! Pleeese doon't haate meee!"

Sasuke slammed on the breaks as the car came to a stop and he looked, suspiciously warily, behind the driver's seat.

A still drunk- very badly drunk at that- Naruto was hunched over his phone, and wailing in a very injured tone.  
"Hinata...wheenn did you starrrt tallking like a boy?" he asked, before seeming to come to a realization and say, "I'm sorrry Mrr Ichirraku! Iii must haave gotten the wrrrong numberr!"

He took the phone away from his ear, and Sasuke asked in incredulity, _"_ _And just what_ do you think you're doing?!"

Naruto started taking off his shoes and socks, with some mad antics, even coming awkwardly close to his face as though searching for something. Sasuke covered his face with a palm, miffed.

Then, Naruto whipped out his phone again and redialed.

"Hinaata! Pleaassee doon't haaate me!' he sounded very bruised and dejected.

A small muffled reply of "N-Naruto?" was heard in reply.

"I can't find you anywhere! I've looked in my socks, and my shoes, and my pockets, and my rucksack! And even in Sasuke's hair! Wherree arrre yooou?!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I promise I'll stop annoying people! I'll- I'll- " he trailed off, looking for something o say, "I'll brush my teeth! And I'll comb my hair every day! And I'll even stop wearing the orange clothes which Sasuke says are so annoying! I-I-I-" he gulped, "I'll even stop eating raaameeen!"

He was sure the raven haired girl on the other side of the phone would be positively mortified by this time. The whole scene was comical- and Sasuke was about to step in to spare his friend any further shame.  
The timid subdued voice from across the phone said, "Wait...Naru-"

"Please don't hate me! I haven't slept in centuries because I'm thinking about you! I can't live without you! You're the only one there is for me! I really can't live without you!" He interrupted, "I promise I'll stop being so cheesy on dates- I don't think I've ever asked you on a date, have I? Hinata! Go on a date with me! I swear it will be super-" at that point, Naruto's eyes rolled into his head and he fell over unconscious.

The phone fell from his hand and landed with a soft 'thud' on the floor of the floor of the car, its speakers still echoing the Hyuga's voice. "N-Naruto?" More muffled sounds of panic followed.

Sasuke groaned in annoyance as he picked up the fallen phone.

"There is nothing wrong with Naruto- he's just fallen unconscious. Drunk, as you can hear."

"Sasuke?"

He recognised the voice which answered the call to belong to an all too familiar pinkhead.

"Hn" he said in response to her question, "Wasn't this supposed to be Hinata?"

"Wasn't this supposed to be Naruto?" she retorted.

"Naruto is fine. He's just-"

"Drunk, yes, you mentioned that. Hinata is now unconscious, I'll let her know."

An awkward silence ensued. Sasuke inwardly wondered if this would be an opportune moment to apologize for earlier- wait, What?! Why would he even be thinking about apologizing? He was slightly put off by their earlier conversation at the doctor's office- but that was only because _he_ was supposed to be the one cutting things off with Sakura, not the other way around. He had come to an agreement the previous night that it would indeed be best if he cut off things with her-even if he was somewhat dubious of this in light of the events of the day- but still, he was not about to attempt a reconciliation with her.

Before he could say anything, she spoke first. "You can take this as an official notification that you are to clear your schedule for tomorrow morning and present yourself for interrogation at the FBI office. If you fail to comply we will not hesitate to use force to bring you in."

Was this about the revelation of his true identity? He sighed resignedly saying, "Sakura, it's not what you think-"

"I don't think you even know what I think. And you are not entitled to make assumptions either. Save the excuses for tomorrow." she said harshly, ending the call.

Sasuke looked down at the phone in his hand, his mind reconjuring the image of her retreating figure from earlier that day. Just like then, even now he couldn't stop thinking about how he could have better handled the situation.

Ultimately, he knew that even if he wanted to, he _couldn't_ develop any sort of feelings for the pinkette. It would distort their plans far too much, and he couldn't loose sight of his original goal.

The picture of her delicate face gazing up at him from across a table in Ichido's flooded his mindscape. The melodious sound of her laugh, and the feel of her slender body against his.

He clenched his fists and threw the phone into the back of the car in rage. _Why can't I get her out of my head?_

Sighing again and deciding to get a move on, he looked back at Naruto, an unconscious snoring mess.

Oh yeah, it was that idiot who made this mess in the first place. _He_ was the one who dressed up as 'Sasuke Uchiha'. _He_ had dragged Sasuke with him to the Hyuga's party. _He_ had tried to set he and Sakura up on a date, and _he_ was the idiot who let their identity switch come into an unwanted light.

 _This is all your fault, idiot._

* * *

April 24th, 2032, Alleyway south of the Market Area, San Francisco, Time- 10:12

"Feel that? Succinylcholine. Sound familiar? Isn't it something you science types ought to know about?" Ino smirked as she pressed a syringe into the struggling writhing grey haired man on the floor in front of her.

 _To think this rat was so closely connected to this case._ Sakura thought with disgust as she glared at the man.

Kiba kicked him in the stomach, to which Kabuto had no response. Kiba's dog, which he had brought with him, barked loudly in reply to that. He couldn't even flinch in pain. A gag was tied around his mouth.

Neuromuscular blocking drugs like the one they were using had that sort of effect.

They had abducted Kabuto with little trouble as he returned home from some bar or tavern of some sort. And they had already run through most of the details of their interrogation. Naruto's call had come through a while before they were about to leave, and whatever he said, it had Hinata as red as a tomato, ultimately fainting- although that was from a mixture of exhaustion and embarrassment. And Sasuke...well, Sakura wasn't quite sure what to make of that? He sounded sincere- and Sakura didn't like holding grudges. If he would only sincerely apologize, it would all be water under the bridge. And though she chided herself for it, she _wanted_ it to be water under the bridge. She couldn't trust him yet, but she was starting to consider that perhaps he did have a good reason to have done what he did. Maybe she should have given him the benefit of the doubt? The idea was nagging at her the whole time as they moved towards their destination.

According to what Shikamaru had already gotten on Kabuto, he had been aiding Orochimaru into whatever experiments they had been doing for quite some time now, and the idea of that served to further aggravate her riled state.

Back to present, Ino bent over peering closer at him. Her leather jacket was lined with a multitude of pockets and pouches home to the poisons and drugs she so loved to fight with. It had become almost a habit.  
Kabuto hadn't taken well to his captivity.

"Now I'm going to give you two options. You can answer our questions with as little resistance as possible- resulting in little bodily harm to you- or you can make this hard for yourself and let me strengthen this dose. Who knows? This kind of muscle relaxant can even stop you from breathing- if in excess, that is." she laughed, stooping down to take out the gag stuffed in his face.

The other man's eyes flickered between the three of them, as an expression of humour crossed his face, his lips curling into a smirk. "You can't _do_ anything to me. I can report all three of you." He let out a short laugh.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura stalked closer at that. _That was it. He had the nerve to laugh at them after everything he'd been accused of._ She grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up to eye level.

And from the way he was looking he'd just try to play around with his words like the snake he worked for until they let him go.

Slamming his head against the wall, she said, " _I don't thing you **get** the gravity of this situation._ "

Kiba came up to stand next to her, mirroring her threat with an animalistic growl. "We will hurt you and burn you and torture you within an inch of death to the point you wish you were dead. We will break you physically and mentally until you are at our feet begging for relief, we'll send you to hell and back." he said.

Kabuto whimpered as he started to look like a cornered animal. His voice shaky, he said, "T-that makes you m-murderers. Y-you'll be penalized. T-taken off the task force."

Sakura almost laughed. As though he was one to talk about murder. His involvement in their case was all but confirmed.

"You can accuse us all you want, but we _will not kill you until you tell you tell us **what we want to know.**_ " Her lips curled in a vicious snarl. Boy, she was pissed. Looking at this man and thinking of what he could have done to Yuki- what he could be doing to many more kids- made her sick. And he still _refused to give them what they wanted._

Kabuto's pupils dilated in fear.

Ino put a tentative hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sak- that's enough. Any more and he'll pass out from the fear. I think he'll talk now."

Casting a spiteful glare in his direction she loosened her grip, letting him slide down the wall into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Now you can start by confirming that you're in league with Orochimaru and his experiments." Ino said crouching down to his eye level.

His silence earned him another kick from Kiba. "Answer the question."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" he said.

Ino brought out a pocket knife and lightly traced the tip of the blade over his fingers. Singling out his left index finger, she raised the blade threateningly and plunged it into the tip of his finger...

Or at least that's what Kabuto thought she was doing as he tried to flinch and scream, "Yes! Yes I work with Orochimaru! It's true! All of it!"

Once he peeked open his eyes, he found her blade not piercing his skin, merely resting against the skin of his finger.

"That's better. Now..." she picked out his middle finger and started tracing patterns on it, keeping her eyes trained on his facial expressions. "How long has this gone on for?"

"Not long." he said.

"I want a number."

"S-seven y-months."

"So you started this 17 years ago?"

His lack of protestation confirmed the truth in her statement.

"You tried to lie to me..." she said coldly, pulling away and standing up and cocking her head to the side, "We don't like liars."

Following that she kicked him over so that he was sprawled face ground on the cold floor of the alleyway they were in.

She walked back to Sakura and Kiba who were standing a few feet away. "Your turn."  
Kiba moved forward and picked Kabuto up by the scruff of his neck. "Listen up turd, you've got five minutes to tell me what you're doing for Orochimaru or I sic my dog on you!"

Kabuto looked from Kiba, to Akamaru who was standing next to Ino, and back to Kiba. Akamaru growled and bared his teeth, which prompted Kabuto into saying, "Funding! I siphon money from the Sahara group into Orochimaru's research!"

Kiba smirked. "Now we're talking. That's not all. What else!"

"I-I help him get the buildings he needs for his experiments!" he added in a panicky tone.

Kiba shook him around and beckoned Akamaru over. The dog moved to stand behind Kabuto, which scared him enough to add, "I help him get some of the...resources he needs for his research too!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at that. Walking to join Kabuto, she asked, "What _resources_?"

"A-a few test subjects and whatnot." he said, his words slurring together at high speed.

" _Test subjects_? Or _children_."

Kabuto seemed to realise that she knew exactly what she was talking about as he said, "I-I don't-"

Kiba punched him in the stomach, letting go of his shirt and letting him fall to the ground saying, "None of that bullshit! There's no point hiding it from us. That will only make it harder for you."

"The Sahara group runs a multitude of poorly managed orphanages! I help get kids from there- ones nobody will notice once missing- and give them to Orochimaru so that he can experiment on them."

The bland tone in which he said it- as though the children were objects and not infant lives- as though the only reason why he was letting the information slip was to save his own skin- that's what prompted Sakura's next action.

She stood on his outstretched hand and took a lighter out of her hand.

"How long has this been going on for?" she asked, grinding her foot harder on his hand.

"A-about 20 years." he said. The man was roughly 40, so that made him 20 at the start of his criminal affiliation.

"How many children do you have at present?" she dropped to one knee, resting the other lightly across his head. Though she said nothing else, inwardly she seethed, and it took a great deal of self restraint not to pummel the man.

"W-we have them in strongholds in a few bases. Orochimaru doesn't do all of his research here- he flits between countries."

"You're avoiding the question. How many?"

"I-I don't know. In San Fransisco now? Maybe 150-200?"

He mentioned it like it was a casual figure. Not talking about hundreds of innocent children. And that was what warranted her slamming her knee into his head and pressing it violently into the ground.

The hand with the lighter hovered over his head with an open flame, where he could easily see it. It was about a hair's breadth from setting his hair alight.

Playing with the subject's mind. That's what Ino had done with her blade, and Kiba with his dog. And now Sakura was doing the same. Even though they couldn't actually injure him, they could make him believe otherwise. Psychologically, Kabuto was so riddled with fear that he would give them whatever answers they wanted. And if he lied, it was quite easy to realise what he actually meant.

"Where?"

"Russia. St Peters burg!"

She set alight a few strips of old newspaper, letting them fall next to his head, close enough for him to feel their intense heat.

"Where?!"

"Switzerland. Geneva!"

She brought the lighter so close to his face that he couldn't focus on the edge of the flame.

"I'm going to ask one last time. Where. Are. They?"

"San Francisco! Mission district! Warehouse 4b, behind the other food and supply storage houses!."

"Is that the only one?" she asked, crushing his skull with her knee some more.

"That's where the most kids are. I honestly don't know where the rest are!" She released the pressure on his head only to bring it back by tenfold.

"Please! I swear to god I'll tell you everything and anything you ask! Just let me go!" He was almost in tears.

Sakura brought the lighter even closer to his face, so that the flame almost licked across his skin. Just before she crossed his breaking point, she abruptly withdrew and stood up, turning to Ino and Kiba.

"Lets go. We're done here."

* * *

 **Whoa! A whopping 3k words! That's the longest I've had in this story. Admitted, that last part _was_ fun to write. It's fun playing with a criminal's mind.  
**

 **Read and Review!- tell me what you think!**

 **~Raven**


	27. Kakashi Hatake

**Almost thought that I wouldn't be able to publish today. I'm quite busy right now. [Exams are a real pain in the ass]**

 **But it only starts to get more exciting from here! For those who've stuck with me till now, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Je ne posséde pas le Naruto.**

 **Now, without further ado,...**

* * *

24th April, 2032, Residence of Sasuke Uchiha, Time: 23:52

Sasuke was waiting for him this time. When his late night visitor entered this time he was awake and ready. Not to mention, he was annoyed and angered from the events of the night, and much of his ire was directed at the man who now stood surveying him with a smirk on his lips.

"You're late." Sasuke said indignantly.

"Contrary to common belief, I actually do exist outside of a dark mask and cloak in the middle of the night."

Sasuke scoffed before saying, "Naruto let slip that we've been concealing identities."

He frowned and said, "I know."

Sasuke was annoyed at his contact- with good reason too. And no, he was not being irrational. At least, that was what he told himself. "And what do you think about that?" He asked.

"I think that it's time you distance yourself from the whole affair. Leave the rest to me- I'll bring her in."

"You're saying that I'm not allowed to have anything to do with her while you're off cavorting with her. Don't think I didn't see the two of you- laughing like half drunk idiots!"

This touched upon the real reason why Sasuke was so annoyed. He agreed that he shouldn't be getting too deeply involved with Sakura, but he was annoyed at being told to stay away from her. No one was permitted to dictate his moves to him in such a manner...

The other man covered his face with the palm of his hand. Moments later, Sasuke realised that he was shaking. And then he came to the realisation that this man was laughing- laughing -at him.

He moved his hand and lifted the black hood off his face.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying, little brother."

Black pits clouded with amusement stared into equally dark orbs pierced with rage.

He grit his teeth. "Don't laugh at me."

Nobody should be allowed to tell him what he could or couldn't do- and then go and do the exact thing which he had told Sasuke not to do.

Laughing at his brother's aggravated argument, Itachi Uchiha said, "At least with me there's no risk of me losing sight of priorities." He looked at Sasuke pointedly and added, far more serious and even angry, "You shouldn't even be angry about this in the first place. What I do in my time outside of our work is up to me. After all, it's not like you were getting anywhere with her."

Sasuke grit his teeth, his voice seething with rage, "Y-you-"

"But now is not the time for that. We have a visitor." he stepped aside revealing a second figure clad in black with a mask covering the majority of his face.

* * *

Kakashi Hatake was equally as angry as Sasuke.

Stepping forward, he shouted, "I don't believe the nerve of you guys! I leave you alone for 3 weeks, and I come back to find out you're under FBI scrutiny, are in danger of being accused of being in contempt of the law, let not just one but two kids escape- one which is dead and is being investigated by police officials which could end up in them knocking at our doorstep, the other is with the FBI, you've revealed yourselves to our target and she hardly trusts either of you, and what's worse, I come to find you two here at each others' throat arguing like cat and dog- over a girl of all things!" Angry and out of breath, he glared at both of them.

A moment of silence followed as they all looked at one another.

"And what have you been doing?" Sasuke said, rounding on him, although already well aware of exactly what the grey haired man had gone away for.

"At least I've done something useful." Kakashi said.

"How is she?" Itachi asked quietly, no longer angry, but rather regarding the conversation between uncle and nephew with mild humour, a forlorn look crossing his face as he focused on the reason why their uncle had left them for three weeks. Kakashi was the only person apart from Sasuke and Itachi who knew everything about what they were doing.

Hearing Itachi's question, his demeanor changed abruptly. Sadly, he said, "She- your mother, she's fine. At least, as good as you can be if you're forcefully isolated on an uncharted island and being used as collateral to blackmail your only living family into openly experimenting on and in the long run killing hundreds of innocent children-" his voice cracked as he added, "I spent a week with her. She still doesn't know that we're doing this."

Kakashi being Mikoto's biological brother was the only one permitted to see her- that and his legal disposition allowed him access to the island where she was being kept. For the 18 years since she had been taken away, not even Sasuke or Itachi were able to see her.

"It's better it stays like that. She's not likely to approve of the lengths we're going to for her." Itachi said.

"But it's the only way, isn't it?" Sasuke asked, looking between Kakashi and Itachi.

"Well..It stops once we bring in a successful test subject. But you already know that." Kakashi said.

"No..I mean. Isn't there any other way?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi was quite surprised at Sasuke's question. Normally, Itachi was the one to look for other alternatives, although given their circumstances, there really was no other way. But Sasuke never once questioned it. He didn't like it, but he was willing to go to much further lengths for his mother, and was unwilling to try anything else which might have ended in her injury. At the end of the day, Sasuke was still like the little boy from all those years ago- all he had really wanted was his mother returned to him, and everything he did focused around that goal.

"We've looked into it before. You yourself have said that there's no way to work around it without her getting hurt." Kakashi said.

The look of confusion in Sasuke's eyes dissipated as they hardened. Jaw set, he nodded and said, "In that case we need to have our next moves set out for us to evade the FBI investigation that may ensue."

"Then there's no time to waste. Tell me everything I've missed."

* * *

 **Secrets are uncovered! That's not the full explanation to everything though.**

 **Sorry if Sasuke seemed a bit ooc to you, but it's kinda necessary to put across the fact that he's angry. And it's not out of character for Sasuke to be angry. Anger is something he does very well ;)**

 **If you're wondering what happened to our dear Sakura, don't worry, I've not sidelined her. Just doing everything chronologically.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. More action in the next chapter!**

 **~Raven**


	28. Coppelià

**Sorry for not updating last week- had a tonne of work so I've hope those who were actually looking forward to another update can understand. Hope you guys enjoy this- And thanks for sticking with me this far!**

 **Don't forget to drop a review .**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

"We have an address. We have a number of potential victims. We also have confirmation that they're engaged in human experimentation. Problem is, we don't have a warrant." Sakura said as they once again gathered in the Hyuga mansion.

"But if we don't move in now, chances are that rat Kabuto will run back to his master and have the location changed. Then we lose our edge." Kiba bit back.

"And if we leave it any longer we risk more kids being victimised." Ino added.

"But he could have been lying. His information left enough loopholes." Hinata said meekly.

"He wasn't" Sakura said with assertion. She had interrogated enough people to know who was or wasn't lying.

"I'm not doubting your interrogation! B-but what if he wasn't giving you the entire truth?" Hinata said.

"We're not about to come back with false information. It's safe to assume he was telling the truth." Ino said, having taken part in the interrogation herself.

"But either way they aren't going to leave a stronghold containing 250 children in broad daylight ! We can't act brashly! What if they hurt the children or try to use them as hostages? Or what if we've got the wrong location ?" Choji said.

"But every second we waste may lead to the death or injury of yet another one of those children! Civilian life is our first priority!" Ino said.

"Enough of your bickering. You've given him the facts, now it's up to Neji's judgement to decide." Arisa said, coming into the room, having listened to the conversation from outside and cutting through the ensuing argument, before turning to Neji, "You don't need to push for a decision right now Neji. Shikamaru is drawing up everything we need on the location. If we decide to move, we mobilise in an hour- everything's arranged. You can wait before making a decision- if things go wrong the repercussions on either side are severe." She looked at him pointedly.

"No." he said with a finality that closed the conversation with his following words, "My decision's made. We move now."

* * *

The so called 'warehouse' was rather a large mansion. Not just large - seemingly uninhabited, or poorly tended. Several windows were broken, the shutters hanging dejectedly off rusted hinges. Slates were missing from the roof and the yard was akin to an overgrown forest. It was an unregistered property, and there were no records of ownership.

Though the weather was slowly transitioning to warmer climate, standing outside the house made the temperature seem to drop to subzero. They were faced with an eerie, chilly, unwelcoming mansion- one which was big enough to compete with the Hyuga mansion.

"We've surrounded the perimeter." Came the assertion through her headpiece.

"Good. Stand by until we move in. Wait for our signal." Sakura said.

Her team would enter the property in pairs. She and Neji. Ino and Hinata. Kiba and Arisa. Choji would stay outside and send in back up, monitoring the situation.

"Checking in with all teams- everyone ready?"

There came a unanimous positive response.

"Then let's go save some children. "

They moved in.

The first thing which struck her once inside the mansion was the statues.

Grotesque they were, the first thing which greeted them inside the house were three ogre like carvings, each with distinct ugly features. Shrouded in shadows, they were more than a little unnerving.

"Split up or stay together?" Sakura asked softly.

"it's best not to let ourselves become too easy a target." Came Neji's reply. In all honesty, she knew he was just as spooked by the house as she was, and was unwilling to admit he didn't want to search the place alone.

They proceeded to walk down the eastern hallway, torches and guns at the ready.

The hallway was cluttered with sheets and furniture obscured from view by dusty white sheets. Thick cobwebs hung from the corners.

"This place looks like it hasn't been lived in for years." Sakura said, walking up to one of the furniture pieces- from its height, it looked like a coat stand. Taking hold of the white sheet, she pulled it off in one swift movement, sending up a billowing cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared Sakura felt her eyes widen in surprise.

Her eyes fell on an ivory face contorted in agony, only inches away from her face.

Two silver hoops hung from the ears.

Lips parted in a silent, feral scream of bloodlust.

A short gasp escaped her lips followed by quickened breaths as she fully took in the atrocity before her.

The lower half of its face was painted in splattered red.

Her stomach lurched as her heart jumped to her mouth- pumping wildly as fear and horror overwhelmed her.

Red that could have been either real or paint.

Tortured eyes no whites- gleaming maliciously, with ash blonde locks limply framing the demonic face.

Her instincts screamed at her to run- as far away from that abomination as possible.

She reached out a shaky hand to touch it's cheek- skin as white as snow, blood as red as roses. Beneath her warm touch, it was as fragile as china.

And then she realised that it was just a doll.

An abomination- but not human.

Nor had it been taken from a human, or sculpted after a human.

But still brutally monstrous.

It made her want to turn around and leave that place as fast as humanely possible.

It made her want to scream in anger at whichever bastard had tried to keep children in a place home to things like those.

But all she did do was study the doll, and the surrounding room, with shock and surprise, but with as much serenity as she could muster.

She took several steps back as Neji came up next to her, saying, "Porcelain dolls. These things go on the market for a fortune." He said, looking at the one in front of them, but putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She was thankful for his presence- whoever lived in that house was a sadistic bastard, and though she was a trained FBI agent, even she was unnerved by the sick creation in front of her.

Sakura turned to the other sheets throughout the room, wondering how cruel the captor would have to be to keep children captive in a place like that.

Slowly, she walked around the room picking off the sheets one by one.

More dolls.

There was no real furniture in the room- only disembodied mannequins and amputated porcelain dolls.

Shocked, surprised, sad, dreary- each bore a different expression. Some had wings but no arms, some held veils over intense stares. Each so lifelike, carved sculpted and crafted by seamless mastery- but soulless and empty within.

Her attention fell on a pair of Siamese sisters, joined grotesquely at the hip and shoulder. Their eyes were hollow and lifeless, heavily lidded and melancholy, as their heads rested against each other in defeat.

Creepy was too weak an adjective.

"Let's get out of here- there's still more ground to cover." Neji said, diverting her attention.

They moved to the adjoining door to the next room.

The room was empty save for another box shaped object, covered by a white sheet.

They trod over maroon carpet to the centre of the room, and Sakura tentatively lifted the sheet off the object, looking down at the glass coffin which cased yet another doll- a sleeping girl, silvery hair spread around the peacefully sculpted face, dressed in a white Victorian dress. The doll was covered in red rose petals- an imagery that looked all too much like fresh blood.

"Who _lives_ here?!" Sakura asked through gritted teeth.

"Relax Sakura- at least it's not living bodies." Neji said, although his expression showed that he was equally perturbed.

"Let's get this over with." She said, moving to the next door.

Lined with two rows of beds with sheets pulled over the top, the walls were a pale sickly green. Bulges were observed under the sheets of each bed.

"Do you think-"

"Are those children ?" Sakura asked.

They moved closer to a bed, and exchanged wary looks, uncertain of what they may find.

Pulling down the sheets they released the breath they had been holding as they stared down in a mixture of horror and relief at the sight of more porcelain dolls- these ones cracked in various places interrupting the smooth continuity. These were the imperfect ones- the failures.

Sakura suddenly stiffened as she heard a faint distant wailing.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered.

They located the direction the sound was coming from. It was faint, but not as distant as they had taken it to be. A wooden armoire stood covered by another white sheet in the far corner of the room. Edging towards it, they confirmed that the sound was, in fact coming from there.

At first everything was silent- quiet enough to hear even Death's footprints.

And then, once again the faint wailing was heard.

Still on guard with the objective of finding captive children, they moved cautiously toward the armoire, pulling off the sheet.

The wailing grew slightly.

"On the count of three." Sakura nodded as she counted silently,"One.."

They could find more abominations behind the door.

"Two..."

Or at least _some_ hint towards the children. Either way, being FBI, their execution had an innate preciseness that could not be curbed.

"Three."

They moved in or prefect synchronisation, moving together to pull open the cupboard.

At the bottom of the cupboard lay a small doll- A four or five year old girl dressed in a bonnet hat and tartan dress.

And the doll opened its mouth to activate the inbuilt sound mechanism-now broken- that was capable of only one sound now.

A small child's wailing.

But there were still no children.


	29. Dr Coppelius

**Saturday's update wasn't enough to satisfy me. I'm in a writing mood, hence this second update.**

 **Happy Independence Day to all you folks in India**

 **Update : just cleaning up some mistakes!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Warehouse 4B, Mission District, San Francisco, Time- 2:38

A loud crash, a woman's scream, the sound of breaking glass followed by muffled shouts was what led to Sakura and Neji splitting up to find the source of the noise as soon as possible.

Sakura reached an eastern staircase- a not so sturdy wooden structure, coated with layers of dust and cobwebs- which looked like it could capsize at any minute. Hesitantly, she climbed her way to the top only to have her stomach lurch as she took in the sight of a glass cabinet chalk full of more dolls- smaller dolls- with hideous still spooked her- though she should have been use to seeing them by that point.

Something wet abruptly dropped onto her shoulder.

She jumped at the contact as another drop fell on her arm.

Looking up to find the source, she was suddenly glad she had skipped dinner, for if not she would have had trouble holding its contents.

Another drop of blood fell on her forehead.

Pinned to the ceiling above her was a dead squirrel- dismembered and cut open maliciously. The blood was cold on her forehead.

Suffice to say she moved away from there as quickly as possible.

As she rounded a corner, she was alarmed by a new sound. This time, a slow, dull thud, slowly becoming louder.

And accompanying it was the sound of scraping metal.

The sound and all its possible sources ran through her head, her pace quickening all the while as she drew her gun, releasing the safety catch and keeping it at the ready.

The metallic scraping was irregular, and whatever the source was it was moving. Coming closer. Towards her.

She felt shivers run down her spine as her pupils dilated.

This place really had done a number on her- she was actually feeling a little afraid now as she heard the approaching disturbance.

Her back against the wall, she waited for the source of the noise to pass the corner she had just rounded, and as it did, she held her gun to its head.

Her head. She realised it was was a woman.

And as Sakura recognised her, she suddenly felt very childish for letting herself be spooked.

"I really don't wish to die today Sakura. Especially not by your hand. Besides, I don't think a bullet to the head would be a particularly nice experience." Arisa said.

Standing next to her was Hinata, and between the two of them they were dragging a red haired unconscious woman between them, and the woman's left leg seemed to be encased in a doll- a metal one which wrapped around her limb, and was trailing along the floor- which was the source of the scraping.

"There aren't any children here." Hinata said softly, "At least not where we searched. But this woman claims to be the owner of this house- and she was angry when we found her. Started swearing a lot and tried to attack Arisa with shards of broken glass."

"What happened?" Sakura asked. Although, she could already tell the answer.

"I punched her in the forehead. She dropped unconscious." Arisa said.

Sakura sighed, shaking her head.

* * *

Warehouse 4B, San Francisco , Mission District, Time- 3:04 am

Tayuya Fue

That was who the woman turned out to be.

An incredibly foul mouthed uncooperative doll maker.

Or as she called herself, "Dr Coppelius".

And not that it mattered, but she was adamant about saying the dolls were 'coppelia' - not 'dolls'.

Their communications liaisons tried to talk to her- diplomatically- to no avail.

" I don't fucking care if you assholes are FBI, I demand to know what the fuck you're doing in my house- in the fucking middle of the night! I demand to see your Warrant!"

Sakura wasn't directly involved in questioning her- she was far too perplexed at why their search turned up a blank. She was positive that Kabuto hadn't lied to her- she had at least that much experience in her field- but then why, when they turned up to search the location he mentioned, did they find nothing but a loud mouthed insolent woman who she could hear shouting in the background.

And to add icing to the cake- they had abandoned protocol and acted without any warrants of sorts. There would be severe repercussions by the time their Higher ups found out about that.

"No I fucking do not know about any children! Do I look like a motherfucking mother to you?!"

* * *

Residence of Sasuke's Uchiha, Time- 5:37 am

 _He didn't want it._

 _He really didn't want it._

 _He had already come to the conclusion that it would benefit no one if he continued doing whatever it as he was doing with Sakura._

 _Therefore by definition, he did not want to be continuously brought into dreams involving her._

 _But that didn't mean that he had any control over it._

Sasuke found himself in a dark room.

The same room, he realised, that he had found Sakura the last time.

In front of him was a large canvas- The cherry tree which Sakura had shown him before. The pinkette herself was nowhere to be seen.

He studied the painting in front of him.

It definitely _was_ a masterpiece. The petals were soft, pale pink, delicately crafted with each brushstroke. The bark of its branches was blended with every shade of black-it spread over the canvas like a warm embrace, forming a netted canopy. The moss which covered its base was a dark earthy green- luscious and lively,primal and tender.

It was made for her.

Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He stepped back and watched in alarm as the canvas was engulfed in flames - a little at first, but then all at once. Flames licked over the surface of the painting, reducing it to ash.

He felt the heat surround him. Faster than he could blink, the entire house was ablaze.

He choked on the smoke, looking for an exit as smouldering wooden beams capsized.

It may have been a dream, but the heat didn't hurt any less.

Whoever said that you can't get hurt in a dream was a cruel, harsh liar.

He grunted in pain and his eyes watered from the smoke as flames fled over his right arm.

He had to get out of here. At this point, he would even overlook the fact that he was on a the second floor. He saw the first exit he could think of-a glass window- and jumped through it, shattering the glass.

His world shifted as he hit the ground- the impact itself didn't faze him, but the glass shards which embedded themselves in his newly burnt arm made him let loose a string of choice curses.

Looking back at the burning building behind him, he stumbled back in alarm as he saw that the house was no longer ablaze. In fact, it looked new. Far better than it had looked when he entered it for the first time. And definitely far better than the pile of ash it was supposed to have been.

He looked at the nameplate on he door- it had been too rusted for him to make out when he had first entered the house, but now it was shiny and crystal clear.

And as he met with renewed surprise, as he told himself it was just a dream and his mind was playing tricks on him, the name on the plate still remained unchanged.

It read Hatake. The same as his uncle's second name. The same as his mother's maiden name.

But what on earth was it doing on this secluded house? On a beach, in a scene conjured up by his subconscious?

The sound of approaching voices drew his attention.

He turned to look at the source.

And it was as though he was looking at a ghost.

In that moment, he truly hated whatever supernatural force deemed that he should be subject to that torture.

A woman with long dark hair cascading down her back. Emerald green eyes framed with long thick lashes. A motherly smile which graced her regal features.

The exact same as she had been all those years ago. Before they took her away.

His mother, Mikoto Uchiha.

The sight of her ignited a series of emotions within that he couldn't even begin to describe.

Needless to say, at the very least, all thoughts of the pain in his arm were immediately gone.

She wasn't alone. He noted a small boy next to her- possibly 13 or 14 years old, with dark red hair.

A younger version of Gaara Haruno, the man he now held captive in the basement layer of his enterprise.

He could not hear much of their conversation, but what was audible made no sense.

"Neither of you deserve any of this...could even go to school or college." He could only hear small snippets of what she said.

Gaara's reply was inaudible.

"Take care of yourself Gaara. Take care of your sister."

They continued inside the house, their conversation indiscernible.

He noticed that he was no longer a lone observer as a pink haired woman joined him, looking upon the same scene.

He didn't expect her to hold answers, but he asked nonetheless. "What is this?"

She didn't reply,the looked wistfully at the house, a shadow of pain in her viridian eyes.

Turning to look at him, her smile was replaced with a frown as she looked at his arm.

The small pout of her plush, red lips had him involuntarily wanting to capture them yet again .

"Look at what you did to yourself!" She chided, taking his arm in her hands. "You're just like a kid- can't leave you alone for a minute!" She said playfully.

Her hands enveloped themselves in a green glow as she ran them over his burns and removed the glass shards. The wounds closed to thin marks- almost invisible. All the pain vanished and he was left with a cool relaxing sensation come over him.

"There. Much better." She said, with an innocent smile.

And his world shifted once again as he woke up in his bed to a blaring alarm clock.


	30. Interrogation

**Another chapter bites the dust. I seriously thought I wouldn't be able to update today. Then I sat down and started writing- and it turned out fine!**

 **I had fun playing with Sasuke in this chapter! Guess i really _am_ evil.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

25th April, 2032, FBI, San Francisco Division, Time- 8:45 am

She was wearing dark sailor pants that hugged her hips and curved into tapering, slender legs that could have gone on forever if it weren't for the sleek, black leather boots that stopped them. Heels clicking as she walked into the room, her floral patterned blouse was covered by a form fitting mini jacket. The front of her jacket was unbuttoned, drawing his gaze to her ample bust, and the plunging neckline of her navy shirt, which was criss-crossed with soft pink floral outlines. Her pink hair poker-straight and flowing down her back, her clear jade eyes lined with thick, dark lashes, her creamy skin pale against the jet-black shade of her jacket, and her plump, luscious scarlet lips which were shaped in a small frown, she looked downright delicious.

Not that Sasuke was paying attention or anything.

He sat at a steel table, on a hard backed chair in an FBI interrogation room. The walls, though opaque, were sure to be transparent to the other officers watching the interrogation from outside. Kakashi, who was filling in for the position as his attorney, his occupation to the rest of the world, sat next to him. And his interrogation officer had just walked in.

Discarding her jacket and hanging it over the back of the chair, Sakura sat, one leg over the other, in the chair directly opposite to Sasuke. His attention immediately drawn to the bare skin of her neck, he found himself involuntarily staring at her.

Internally he slapped himself. What was he thinking? He absolutely could not allow himself to get distracted- especially not by her.

And yet, she seemed to be maliciously aware of the effect she was having on him, as the corner of her cherry lips curled upward in a foreboding smile.

Kakashi sent a pointed glare in his direction- as though he knew exactly what was going on in his head. He did not look pleased.

She nodded to him, and then to Kakashi in acknowledgement as she introduced herself and Hinata. Not that she really needed any introduction.

"You are in a dangerous position, Mr Uchiha." She said, her silvery voice polite and formal. There was none of the previous verbal intimacy they had built up over the past few days. The apathetic way that she said 'Mr Uchiha' had him frowning with disapproval. It sounded far too...empty coming from her.

He shook himself. Now was not the time to entertain such thoughts. In fact, he wasn't supposed to entertain those thoughts at all in the first place.

"Before you say anything I'll have you know this is a formal interrogation and anything you say can and will be used against you. That being said, if you truly have nothing to hide, if this really 'isn't what it looks like ' as you claim, then you should have nothing to fear."

"He also has a right to remain silent. He doesn't have to answer anything you ask."

"Which is why you are here, isn't it?" She said with a wry smile.

He detected a hint of well hidden animosity in her voice, laced over and covered by her sweet formalities. That mask of professionalism- he didn't like it one bit. It wasn't supposed to be in place when she was around him.

What am I even thinking?! I can't afford to think like that.

The raven haired girl standing behind Sakura took a seat next to her, saying, "We are well aware of the fact that both you and your associates lied to us and concealed your identities. The small matter alone might not have caused so much of a problem- the circumstances of the initial identity confusion were well justified. But when you were further wrought up in more matters concerning the FBI, the question remains, why did you continue the charade? Why risk being held in contempt of the law?" Her voice was icily cold.

Sasuke sat stoically while Kakashi quietly nodded to him. Now was where the real act began- he was to be hesitant in answering, but for a completely different reason. And the story he was about to be coaxed into telling was a carefully crafted cover up. Now was where Sasuke Uchiha the arrogant billionaire became Sasuke Uchiha the threatened victim.

"Not answering isn't going to do you any good." Sakura said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Was there, perhaps, some sort of criminal affiliation that you did not wish to throw light upon while you interacted with the FBI?" She asked accusingly.

"No" he responded in a single word.

"Then did you take pleasure in toying around with people's impressions and lying to government officials?" Her companion added.

"No."

"Then do you care to offer an explanation?" The pinkette asked.

He sat silently.

She glared at him, her eyes, once so expressive and open, now cold and unreadable. He found himself wishing to see the emotions once reflected in them looking up at him with trust and affection.

And he quickly diverted himself from that line of thought as he reminded himself again of his need to avoid contact with her.

"Do you wish to go to jail, Mr Uchiha?" She asked coldly, crossing her arms. It may have been a habitual movement for her, but for him it was tantalisingly enticing as her chest was pushed upwards,by her folded arms.

The voice inside his head chided him telling him to control his responses.

"I consider myself quite sane, thank you." He replied a little too sarcastically.

"Then I suggest you cooperate with us. You aren't in a position to bargain. Tell us everything.

As he stared into those mesmerising green orbs, he decided that he had hesitated enough as far as acting went. Starting to speak, he said, "I hope you don't misunderstand- the switch between Naruto and I was not an act exclusively extended to the FBI. For the past few weeks, anyone who entered the Uchiha Corporation for a meeting with Sasuke Uchiha was greeted by Naruto dressed up as me."

"But why?"Hinata asked suspiciously.

He sighed, annoyed, as he said, "I am a renown man. There are many who would love nothing more than to see my head on a pike."

"You specifically mentioned 'for the past few weeks'. Why then and not a year ago? Your information is inconsistent." Sakura said,holding his gaze. It was those eyes again. Those eyes that followed him everywhere he seemed to go. They wouldn't even leave him in his dreams, always there to slowly hypnotise him.

Continuing with his ploy, he hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice and saying, "We had handled them until then. But when the anonymous threats to my life, and attempted murders began, we decided it be safer if I didn't stay in the office. Not that I would have let Naruto die in my place, but just so that we could more easily assess the threats." He felt it necessary to add the last part after seeing the malevolent glares the dark haired girl was sending his way.

"You were receiving threats?"Sakura asked, half,sceptical, half genuine.

"Yes"

"From who?"

"I don't think 'anonymous' means that I know the answer to that." He said with a small smirk, watching her annoyed and exasperated reaction to his question. He found that he quite liked that expression on her.

No more irrelevant thoughts.

"Goddamnit Sasuke, you're an intelligent man. Surely you have some idea as to who it is. Or don't tell me, all that time spent posing as Naruto has actually made you as stupid as him." She said, aggravated.

Finally a reaction from her other than that cold and unfeeling 'Mr Uchiha'. He felt a sick satisfaction at having finally put a crack in that infallible mask. Hearing her soft silvery voice say his name had only served to add to his euphoria. Now all that was left was to capture those pretty little lips...

Kakashi's expression was one of warning as he wordlessly ordered Sasuke to keep his head in the more important task at hand.

"We suspected the Sahara group's involvement. But with no proof, we could allege nothing against them."

The room was quiet for a moment as the two agents searched for loopholes in that statement.

"Was it Mr Yakushi? Did he threaten you? Were you involved in some sort of underhand transactions or dealings which threatened his autonomy? Or perhaps you held some sort of proof of embezzlement or siphoning funds?" Sakura asked.

He knew very well what she was doing- trying to find a link between her case and his company. Straying hazardously into dangerous territory. They probably suspected something about Kabuto's involvement - especially after Sakura watched as he tried to drown Sasuke. And judging from what Itachi said the previous night, they had managed to come that much closer to the truth- at least, parts of it.

In reply to his silence, Sakura stood up, discarding the chair as she walked slowly around the room, coming to a stop behind Sasuke, her fingers trailing over the shoulder of his suit, edging closer to the skin of his neck. He felt his entire body stiffen beneath her touch, as he became painfully aware of her fingers. Oh yes, she knew the effect she was having on him.

If he had seen her face, he would have noticed the sly smile which graced her features. Kakashi, however, did notice it.

"What's the matter, Mr Uchiha? Aren't we a little...quiet? Guilty perhaps? Someone hit the nail on the head?"

"Wait a minute, he doesn't have to answer that- don't answer that Sasuke." Kakashi interrupted, "You have no permission to push for an answer when none is offered up. Nor to resort to tactics that incriminate him."

Leave it to Kakashi to scoop him out of the mess that would have been bound to ensue.

"But he didn't deny it, did he?" Sakura said, turning to Kakashi, "You may be here to legally advise him, Mr Hatake, but you can't speak for him."

"We had our suspicions, but no proof to ascertain that it was in fact Mr Yakushi who was issuing the threats. That is, until recently when we tried to withdraw our funding and he tried to drown us." Sasuke cut in, "And no, we did not partake in any underhand dealings, nor do we have anything that we could hold against them."

"Why not come to the FBI sooner? When the threats started coming?" Hinata asked.

"We had it under control. Our men were looking into the issue. We had planned to go to higher authority if and when we had the sufficient proof." He said. They hadn't left any loopholes in their story.

"Are you still receiving these threats?" The pinkette asked.

"...yes" he replied hesitantly.

"What about when the FBI came to you for other things? You could have avoided all of this, and we would have helped." Hinata added.

Sakura, listening intently from behind him, stayed silent, as she stood between the chairs of the two men, her hand grazed the side of his head with her arm as she rested her hand on the back of his chair. The contact was minimal, but it riled him nonetheless. He felt his hairs stand on edge as her cool skin brushed against his ear.

A small nudge from Kakashi prompted him to answer the question the raven haired woman had asked him.

"Like I said, we had it under control. And we would have come clean about the identity confusion once we were certain that the Sahara group was behind all of the threats." He said.

"That doesn't justify your deceiving the FBI." Sakura asked, finally leaving her station behind his chair and walking back to where Hinata was seated, picking up her jacket.

"Even so there's nothing we can do to rectify that now. I've told you everything that was the truth." Sasuke said.

She frowned as she heard him speak, once again walking closer to the table, leaning over it ever so slightly with one hand resting on the tabletop, to look Sasuke in the eye.

"You've told us your side of the story. It's up to us to decide if it's the truth or not."

Her face was less than an arm's length from him now. In fact, if he closed his eyes he could almost smell her trademark cherry blossom scent. Being in close proximity to her while she was,being so cold and apathetic felt like torture.

But that's not what it was supposed to be like, so quite obviously, Sasuke didn't acknowledge it.

"You can't incriminate him from what he's said. There's no reason to continue this." Kakashi said.

Sakura held his gaze for a few moments more, before sighing and turning away to Hinata. "This interrogation is over." She said, her back turned to him, hips swaying as she walked out of the room, her companion close behind.

* * *

Neji watched as Sakura and Hinata walked out of the interrogation room, leaving the Uchiha and his lawyer inside. He was not pleased. Not at all.

A pair of feline eyes gazed upon the scene from next to him. Arisa asked, "What do you think, Neji?"

"I don't buy it. He's hiding something."

His dislike for the Uchiha may have spawned from the predatory lustful way he was looking at a girl whom he considered his younger sister. But he still didn't believe the half assed excuse he had provided.

"I don't know Neji. I think they're cute. And it's not exactly one sided."

He didn't reply, instead glaring at the Uchiha.

Arisa let out a small laugh as she said, "Don't be so uptight. Besides, if they do get together, we'll be there to bash his skull in if he tries to pull anything with Sakura." He nodded silently in agreement as they watched Kiba and Choji enter the interrogation room to escort the Uchiha and his lawyer out.

"Don't you think he reminds you of Itachi?" Arisa asked softly.

"Hn"

He did have an uncanny resemblance to their friend.

The doors barged open and Sakura, Ino and Hinata walked in.

"That was soooo fun to watch! You were driving him crazy in there!" Ino said, laughing.

"I was not!" Sakura defended, as she joined Arisa and Neji.

"Good work." Neji said, though his expression was still set in a scowl.

"I want you to keep an eye on him. He claims to be receiving threats to his life. Guard him." He told her, once again assuming position of Unit Chief. He didn't want the Uchiha anywhere near any of his family at present, but it was the best way to find out what he was hiding.

"What?Why?" Sakura asked, gears turning in her head.

"Something doesn't add up. He's hiding something. See if you can find out what it is."

Slowly nodding, she said, "Understood."

Another officer walked into the room, saying, "Hyuga! Arisa! The higher ups want you in their office. And Inuzuka too!"

"Kiba's not here." Arisa said.

"Umm...Genma, which Hyuga?" Hinata asked.

He looked between Neji and Hinata, before saying, "You", pointing at Neji, "Though I can't imagine why only you three." He left the room.

"I guess now we're about to find out what the repercussions of what we did yesterday are." Arisa said in reply to Sakura's questioning look.

She followed Neji and Genma out of the room.

* * *

 **Hope you liked that. Maybe I might have made Sasuke a little Ooc, but I had fun anyway so you'll have to bear with me.**

 **A big shout out to everyone who's stuck with me till here!**

 **As a side question, did anyone have a problem with Arisa? Like, do you like her or hate her or just don't want any more of her in the story? If it's a negative response to more of her then I won't add any more...but I kinda want to do it. But you readers come first, so let me know what you think.**

 **Read and review!**


	31. Suspended

**Sorry for the late update. ..I'll try to update when I can but for now the next update you can expect for sure is in 3 weeks. Sorry about that guys.**

 **Thanks to all who favourite and follow...don't forget to review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"Frankly speaking, I'm extremely disappointed. In all of you."

Kiba, Arisa, and Neji stood in front of their superior, all three looking at the table that separated them, none of them wanting to raise their gaze to look at the stern man in front of them.

"Illegal interrogation with use of physical harm and force, an unauthorised police raid on private protected property, assaulting an innocent civilian bystander, and another unwarranted interrogation on aforementioned civilian bystander, and to top it off, you've had a week on this case, and do I see any headway? No." The dark haired man walked around the desk surveying each of them.

"You're an elite team for God's sake, act like it! There's a reason why we've got you on our most pressing cases and not any other half-bit team out there! I expected more from you." He came to a stand in front of Neji, his non bandaged eye glinting with disappointment and annoyance. "Especially you, Unit chief." He spat the words as though they were an insult, his voice filled with mockery.

None of them spoke.

"How many of you were involved in the interrogation?" He asked.

Kiba spoke sheepishly. "It was just me. Nobody else did anything."

They had agreed to keep as few people as possible involved in the so called 'illegal police activity'.

"Are you sure?" The dark haired man asked, looking down at him suspiciously as he came to a stop in front of the Inuzuka.

"Yeah. Pretty sure Akamaru and I can handle a sissie like him." He said, trying to throw off the intense stare being sent his way.

The old man sniffed disappointedly and moved to stand in front of Neji again. "And what, might I ask, possessed you to act so rashly and order the raid?"

"In my defence, our first priority was and is civilian life. We received Intel that the house was holding captive a number of innocent children. I was not willing to compromise on their safety." Neji said, calmly modulating his tone and trying not to let his eyes betray his hatred towards the man in front of them.

"Intel which wasn't even lawfully acquired." He added.

Hands behind his back, the old man moved to stand in front of Arisa.

"If that be the case, then why attack the owner of the property? Doesn't that count as 'harming innocent life'?" He asked her, sneering.

Arisa raised her head defiantly to look him in the eye, with a curt reply of, "She was too loud."

"I'll have you know that that woman was one of the most reputed doll makers in the whole state. There are many a powerful patron who pay millions for her artwork. And they sponsor that house and her artwork. They can have you deported. Do you understand the gravity of the position you've put us in?"

Arisa fixed him with a look of loathing as she said, "Yes, Danzo , I understand."

He seemed to relax slightly hearing her words.

"I understand that you're taking bribes from these 'patrons' to have our work shut down." She finished.

A snarl on his face hearing her words, he cried "Insolent brat!" as he raised the hand which was not covered in bandages and made to lash out and strike her.

Neji caught his hand before it could make contact.

"Why don't you finish this with what you were supposed to say, Danzo." He said coldly.

The other man released his hand from Neji's grasp and fixed them with a spiteful glare. "The three of you are suspended from the FBI indefinitely or until the case is solved. You are not to set foot in these headquarters after today. Your remaining team has a week to finish this case. If they fail to do so, the team will be disbanded and each will be assigned to different posts throughout the country."

"You can't do that!" Kiba shouted.

"On what pretence?" Arisa added.

"That is the final decision. You cannot question it. Leave." He said, with a finality that drove Neji to lead the other two out of the room.

Suffice to say none of them particularly liked the man at the helm.

* * *

"Mr Uchiha?"

Sasuke turned around just as he and Kakashi were about to get into the black car which had arrived to pick them up outside the FBI headquarters.

Clear emerald eyes looked back at him as he registered who stood before him.

Her expression was still hardened, as it had been when she interrogated him earlier, but Sasuke found himself drinking in the sight of her.

What was it about this woman that he just couldn't seem to get enough of?

Kakashi prodded him lightly in the shoulder, as he realised he hadn't said anything yet.

"Was there something you needed?" He asked.

"Considering the threat which you mentioned earlier, which was the root of your identity switch in the first place, our team has decided to fix you a round the clock guard headed by a member of our team until the threat has been nullified. You will also be accompanied back to your company so we can check up on proof of these 'attempts on your life'"

He found himself concentrating less and less on what was being said and more on the person speaking instead, earning him another glare from Kakashi, who said, "Who would this guard include?"

"Various agents. Your main concern should be the one heading it- for today, that would be me." She said, a bitter edge to her tone.

So that meant that she would be spending the entire day at the Uchiha Corporation. Again. And she didn't seem very happy about that.

Sasuke felt his lips curl up in a small smirk.

"In that case we'll be on our way. You'll be following in a second vehicle I take it?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. You'll be under surveillance from now onwards." She said, walking away from them to the car now stationed behind their one, and climbing into the passenger seat.

Sasuke's eyes followed her until Kakashi dragged him by the collar into the back seat of their car.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Sasuke said, rubbing his neck and glaring at Kakashi.

"Get your head into the situation at hand, and off that poor girl's boobs!" Kakashi half growled half shouted. "You're acting like a hormonal teenager! Not the head of a worldwide corporation! You're going to screw everything up!"

"I am not!" Sasuke retorted reflexively.

"Have you stopped once to think about the repercussions of having a troop of FBI agents running around the place? You should be worried - if not working out a way to hide the basement layer from the legal authorities- but sure as hell not smirking like some closet pervert who just got an early Christmas present!"

"Who said I wasn't?!" Sasuke said defensively- although he knew very well the thought hadn't crossed his mind yet.

"And to top it off- you spent that whole interrogation mentally undressing her- sure as hell not focusing on the interrogation itself. If it weren't for me-"

"You'd be in police custody by now, brother."

Sasuke snapped around to look at the driver's seat of the car. Draped in black, face concealed to avoid recognition, his elder brother looked back at him through the driver's mirror.

"Sasuke, I think we've agreed that you can't afford to get too involved with her." Itachi said, looking between him and Kakashi, "And even if you do decide to get physically involved it can have no emotional attachment from your side. Everything we've worked for these past few years would be meaningless if any of us mess up now."

Kakashi gave Sasuke a smug look.

"That being said, if she does get attached to you then it would be that much easier to bring her in. You should be able to make good use of this opportunity while she spends time at the Uchiha Corporation." Itachi said, in support of Sasuke.


	32. Playing with fire

**Sorry for the late update! There's no easy way to say this but I kinda died just this once. It won't happen again! Well, at least, I'll let you guys know if it happens again.**

 **I changed the title and summary to what I believe suits the story better. It might change again in the future. Full summary is on the first chapter if anyone wants to see it.**

 **Hope you enjoy it! Leave me a review to tell me what you think.**

 **I'm also changing the update day for this to Tuesday. Is that good or bad? Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

25th April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco, time- 15:26 pm.

Sasuke froze as he walked into his office.

And then he smiled.

No, it wasn't one of his trademark Uchiha smirks which lay somewhere between a grin and a grimace.

It was a genuine, soft smile.

He couldn't help himself.

On one of the chairs in front of him- the one which _she_ had claimed while she sat and watched him as he worked; where she had decided to stay in compliance with her task of guarding him- sat her petite form.

Seated with one knee to her chest and the other hanging off the chair, with the side of her head leaning against her knee, her arms clasped around the front of her calf, her pink hair half covered her delicate face, leaving him with only a slight glimpse of the curve of her lips, and the arch of her high cheekbones, beneath soft eyelashes and her gracefully lidded eyes.

So perfectly sculpted it could have been artwork, if not for the small rise and fall of her chest and the quiet sound of her breathing.

 _She must be incredibly tired._

He had heard from Kabuto about what had happened the previous night. Though it was futile on the FBI's part, and it could never trace back to the Uchiha Corporation in the first place, he couldn't help but commend her team on finding out so much.

He had left the room for a few minutes, only to come back to find her slim petite form fast asleep.

He found himself frowning as he saw her shift in her sleep, seemingly uncomfortably.

Without considering his actions, he scooped her up with an arm nestled behind her back and the other beneath her legs. Stilling for a moment to check that he had not woken her, he moved behind his desk, to the elongated, leather cushioned window sill which stretched along the length of the tall bay windows of his office to form a bed or sofa of sorts- something which Naruto had insisted on adding to the room.

Who would have thought that the idiot's antics would ever turn out to be useful?

He gently lay her down on the soft black surface, careful not to rouse her from her fragile slumber. Instinctively, she curled up on her side with her hands nestled beneath her head.

Still smiling slightly, he reached down to her face to softly tuck her hair behind the soft curve of her ear, and move it away from her face, and was about to withdraw his hand when she moved.

He froze as a small, cold hand wrapped around his and held it in place next to her face.

Itachi had warned him not to get too close to her. Especially because in the end, he would only end up hurting her, and she him. But when had Sasuke ever listened to him? He could be involved with her as he wanted- at least until they brought her in. And it's not like he would stop doing what he was doing for the her sake. Right?

It was attraction he felt towards her. Not 'love'.

Yet as he watched her curl up around his hand as though that was where it belonged, he couldn't deny the almost painfully uncomfortable ache in his chest. A sense of completion, as though that was exactly where she belonged, with him. He wanted-no _needed_ to feel her in his embrace, with his arms circled around her. He dropped to a crouch so that he was closer to her eye level.

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him with clear, innocent viridian eyes.

Well Itachi be damned. If it hurt them later on, he didn't care.

He cared about _her._

 _Them._

 _Now._

"S-Sasuke?" She asked gently.

She was unnerved by the look in his eyes.

He held her gaze, searching for some form of acceptance in her eyes.

When she raised herself to lean on her elbows and push herself into an upright position, he softly said, "There's a business dinner I must attend tomorrow. I'd rather not have your entire team following me around for that."

She frowned, biting her lower lip slightly as her forehead creased. He realised that perhaps that hadn't been the best way to open conversation.

"We can't let you go without any protection. Unless you're implying that these 'threats' are unimportant?" She said, slightly satirise in her words.

He couldn't help but appreciate how alluring she was when angered. Curling the end of his mouth up in a smirk, yet not once raising his voice above its previous soft tone, he said, "I never said that, did I?"

She looked slightly confused as she ran through the possible implications of what that might have meant.

"I can have one of my teammates accompany you if you-"

"Come with me. As my date." He said abruptly.

She frowned slightly as she looked at him searchingly, her gaze suspicious.

"I won't do anything out of line. It's just a business dinner." He said, stung by annoyance at her lack of trust in him.

She paused for a moment, no doubt weighing out his request in her mind, before saying, "Okay. I'll come with you. But only since you refuse a security team."

He nodded, barely concealing the smirk that would have graced his lips, before saying, "It's a formal meeting with a business associate from Britain."

She nodded.

He stood up, looking down at her again, saying, "You seem to be exhausted. If you want I can-"

"There's no need." She said curtly, a twinge of anger in her eyes at his words. She seemed to think he was belittling her ability. Moving to the door to leave and talk to the members of the team she brought with her. ". You can get back to work now." She added, before walking out of the room.

* * *

"S-Sakura. We're sending Choji over to take over guarding Sasuke for you. You should come back. T-there's something we need to tell you."

Hinata's voice echoed through the phone's speakers. Sakura frowned hearing her voice hoarse. As though she had been shouting. Which meant something was definitely wrong.

"Hinata? What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, worry filling her voice.

"I-I'm fine. But you should come back soon." She said, hesitantly.

"Okay I'll be back at HQ as soon as Choji gets here." Sakura said.

"W-wait! You should come back home. Nobody's at HQ."

Something was definitely wrong. But before she could further interrogate Hinata, she heard the line go dead.

Walking back into Sasuke's office, she looked around to ensure there were no clients inside before saying, "My colleague will be here to relieve me of my post here shortly. He will accompany you until you retire to your apartment, whereafter our teams will position themselves outside your residence."

He nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes fixed on her with a hint of...disappointment? "Hn." He said, still looking at her.

Disappointment for what? She had no idea what to make of Sasuke's abrupt change in behaviour. He had been anything but friendly for the majority of the morning- though that may have had a lot to do with the fact that she had been interrogating him as a potential suspect- and his behaviour thereafter hadn't exactly been warm and fuzzy. Not to mention she hadn't exactly forgiven him for his deceit in lying to her about his identity. But still...when she felt her hands involuntarily reach up to catch the hand which was caressing her cheek, and had heard his small sound of approval, followed by the sound of him crouching down, and the echo of his steady breathing tickling her ears...she couldn't help but notice his smouldering gaze fixed on her, filled with...filled with what? Lust? To some degree, yes. But there was more than that. Longing? Attraction? Dare she say it, love? Love was too strong a word, she decided. But that didn't mean there was no reason behind that scorching gaze.

Like fire, she decided. Now it seemed like the flame was giving her a chance to play with fire- but she didn't want to get burnt. Atleast not yet.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, Time- 16:48

"What?! Suspended?! On which bat shit crazy old man's authority!?" She demanded as soon as she heard the news from an unlucky Kiba who'd drawn the shortest stick in terms of who had to break the news to Sakura.

"It's nothing really! Just me, Arisa and Neji! Nothing else really out of place! No harm done!" Kiba defended.

"Nothing out of place? _Nothing out of place?!_ So Unit chief, and two of our best operatives off the force are 'nothing'?! "

Kiba was visibly sweating with fear. Sakura had a fierce temper. One normally kept tightly under control. Until it snapped. Like it was now. And her anger, though directed at Danzo, was being taken out on Kiba. Poor, poor, Kiba.

"Calm down Sakura. You're over reacting." Neji's smooth voice rolled over her as she turned to look at the doorway, where Neji stood, followed by Arisa.

"Calm down. You expect me to _calm down_ , when _you're_ getting told off and forced to stay out when the _real_ threat is somewhere out there doing god knows what to goodness knows how many more children?! How could you not object to what he said?!" She demanded.

"Wait a sec, Sakura, we didn't have much choice. And you've not heard the rest of it. There's not much we could have done to stop Danzo. He's being bribed."

Sakura stiffened at that, looking straight at the speaker, Arisa, bristling with anger towards the old man.

"We will continue this case, just not on field or official service. And we don't have much time. So we better start working."

Inwardly, Sakura felt guilty. She had been the one to get the location information from Kabuto, and she had been the one who led them to that false doll infested mansion. Yet she was so sure that Kabuto hadn't been lying. Then where had she gone wrong?

"Relax Sakura. Breathe. We all need to be on our A game to crack this case and bring down the culprit before the one week deadline. Close your eyes and take deep breaths."

The soothing, relaxing voice of Ino accompanied by her soft hands gently massaging her shoulders released all the pent up tension in Sakura's back.

She closed her eyes, and cleared her thoughts with a few deep breaths, feeling the immediate anger leave her to be replaced with a calculated want to bring down the enemy.

Opening her eyes, she said, her voice once again cool and in command, "We better get started. Where to begin?"


	33. Curiosity killed the cat

**Sorry for the late update. Seriously, I applaud those of you who are still reading after these long waits. I can't even begin to thank you enough and tell you how much it means to me that you read and like my story.**

 **I think changing the title and summary has brought more attention on the story, so thanks to everyone who's recently discovered Deception.**

 **I live for your feedback so tell me what you think!**

 **~Raven**

* * *

25th April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation, time- 15:56

"What's the matter Sasuke? Why d'you have to drag me into the bathroom to talk to me? You're not turning gay are you?"

Sasuke glowered at the blonde, saying, "I can't do anything with these FBI agent's on my tail. I need you to settle some unofficial matters for me." He was going to regret his decision to ask the blonde for help, but he was really the only one he could properly talk to without raising much suspicion.

The blonde grinned ear to ear as he realised that Sasuke was actually going to properly trust him with his 'unofficial' tasks for once. "What do you need me to do?" he aske with barely concealed enthusiasm.

"First, you can't let anyone follow you. Don't let it be too obvious that you're up to something. And that includes not grinning like a Cheshire cat as you walk out of here- got that?"

Naruto let his smile drop- only by a little- as he nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. You can trust me."

'Like I trusted you to keep our identity switch a secret' Sasuke thought to himself dryly.

"I need you to take this," he placed a small flash drive in Naruto's hand, "And go down to the basement layers."

"Wait what you're actually letting me go down there?! You never let me down there? Why now?"

"Believe me, I'm asking myself the same question." Sasuke said, exasperated. "First go to the fortieth floor. Tell whichever scientist's in charge there to take those files and run a full analysis on it. Tell them to compile a report on it. And ask them for the documents I asked them for a week ago- two copies."

Naruto nodded diligently, soaking in the information as Sasuke kept talking. Silly as he may appear, he actually was smart enough to remember everything Sasuke told him.

"And before you leave go to the second floor and give them this." he handed Naruto a sealed envelope.

"The system has all of your biometrics on it- I've given you full clearance to the lower levels so there should be no problem. Now don't screw up and make me regret this any more than I already do."

"Relax Sasuke. Don't worry, I'll sort this out. I'll get this done so you've got nothing to worry about. Let me do my job and you focus on Sakura."

Before Sasuke had a chance to fully register his words and hit him on the head, Naruto slipped out of the bathroom, leaving behind an angered Sasuke cursing the blonde's rash, dumb assumptions.

* * *

"Access granted."

The smooth automated voice spoke through the speakers as Naruto opened the second panel of the elevator - the one that would take him to the basement layers of the Uchiha Corporation.

Inwardly, he was thrilled by the prospect of Sasuke finally trusting him enough to help what went on beneath the surface of the medicinal enterprise. Naruto knew for a fact that Sasuke hated what happened as part of the basement layers - perhaps keeping Naruto out of that life was his own way of expressing his affection - but Naruto never wanted to be shielded from those operations while Sasuke had to live with that guilt. They were a package deal - either both of them should be involved, or neither.

Though he wasn't ecstatic at the prospect of seeing the Uchiha Corporation for all its horrors, he was finally able to do something to help Sasuke there. That was enough for the present.

Naruto replayed Sasuke's instructions repeatedly in his head, looking at the long line of buttons that would take him to the designated floor.

It was only then that he asked himself the most important question.

"When Sasuke said fortieth floor - did he mean fortieth from the bottom upwards? Or from top to bottom?"

And after much musing on the issue, his final conclusion was, "I guess I'll just have to do both."

" Get out of here! Don't ever let Sasuke send you down again!" the shrill old woman's voice echoed down the hallway as Naruto ran into the elevator.

It wasn't really the old cat lady - Nekobaa's fault. He had gotten the wrong floor, waltzed into her supply stores, and managed to make a complete mess in less than two minutes. It was an accident!

It had been a long time since Naruto bore witness to the affairs that took place beneath the surface of the Uchiha corporation. Seeing them again up close hurt him. It hurt him that he couldn't help the people in there. It hurt him with the memories that that place brought. And it hurt him that he couldn't help Sasuke- because he knew that it hurt Sasuke too. And Sasuke wanted it to stop as much as Naruto did - the inability to do so, being responsible for it yet being powerless to stop it- Naruto knew very well that it ate up at Sasuke like an internal parasite.

Suffice to say Naruto did not like the basement layers.

But then again, who did?

Absent mindedly pushing the button for second last floor to finish his list of tasks, he thought back to the pink haired fbi agent who had commandeered Sasuke's office for a large portion of the day. Specifically, he thought about Sasuke's budding affections for this woman. He liked Sakura. He found her friendly. Not to mention, she was perfect for Sasuke. If Naruto had his way, both would overcome their stubborn insistence to remain professional, and would be well into a relationship by then. It didn't hurt that the adopted sister of said woman was also very nice.

Hinata was kind and generous and shy yet confident and strong but vulnerable all at once. Once he started thinking down that stream of thoughts, he found himself unable to think of anything but the raven haired girl...

But that was enough distraction for the present moment...

The elevator came to a stop, and absent mindedly, Naruto stepped out, only to come face to face with a long dark corridor.

Odd. He never knew there was such a place in the basement?

It was a slip on his part in the first place to show up there. He was supposed to leave- his work was done.

But as he looked down the dark corridor, his sixth sense piqued his curiosity. The corridor was laced with highly efficient traps and maximum security.

What for? To keep people out? Or to keep something else in?

The traps wouldn't hurt him. Not because he had clearance, but because they never hurt him. They never could.

He walked into the dark, looming corridor, counting nearly twenty doors passing by on both walls, before he came to a stop in front of a final door. It was the most guarded and well protected. What lay behind it?

A part of him reminded him that he didn't want to know. Sasuke would be mad at him for this. And chances are, he'd only find something which would make him hate that place more, and leave him unable to change it.

But in the end, he opened up the door, immune to the defences activated, and stepped inside.

A sterile white room with further defences greeted him with a door at the far end.

Reaching the second door, he took his last chance to step back and stop himself from stumbling upon some hidden unchangeable secret which he could do nothing to help.

They say curiosity killed the cat. It would be the death of the fox too.

He turned the knob of the door and walked inside.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation, time- 17:04

When a man is left alone in a room with little access to anything else for nearly ten years of his life, time becomes a foreign concept.

Minutes roll into hours into days and years.

Had it been days since the Uchiha visited Gaara with news of his sister? Or months? Or years?

Any lesser man would become insane. Gaara was not any 'lesser man'.

He was planning. And lay in wait. Always planning. The Uchiha were after his sister. And he would be damned if he couldn't save her from the fate they laid out for her. He would find a way to save her.

He had to.

Staring intently at nothing in particular, after what might have been hours, of even seconds, he sensed a presence approach his room. Slowly calming his breathing to less than silence, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Had the Uchiha returned?

But when the door opened, a mess of blonde hair, tanned skin and blue eyes came into vision.

Both men stared at each other in shock.


	34. Gaara Haruno

**It's short, but I can't imagine it any other way. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter for more. Hope you like it.**

 **Don't forget to drop a review ;)**

 **~Raven**

 **Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto**

* * *

25th April, 2032, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco, Time- 17:04

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Who the hell are _you_?!"

"I asked first."

"You're the one who walked into my abode."

Naruto looked at the man with long shaggy red hair, and dark rimmed jade orbs for eyes. Who was he? Why had Sasuke kept him under such high security? What role did this man play? "You...How long have you lived here?"

The other man registered his question, and sighed, leaning back into his seat, a smile- a _smile_ \- creeping onto his face as he laughed mirthlessly and said, "That is a question even _I'd_ like to know the answer to."

"Can I sit down?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling very curious about this person, who looked familiar in ways inexplicable.

"My opinion's never stopped anyone before." he said sarcastically.

"Well it matters now. I'm asking." Naruto said.

"Go ahead. It's not as though it's made a difference. Tell me... how did a layman like _you_ make your way into the Uchiha's _holding cells_?" he asked.

"Holding cells? What did you do for Sasuke to put you in here?" Naruto asked, confused. According to what he knew of the basement, the only people who could be held captive there were... _children_ \- something that made his blood boil at even the thought of it; and ...semi successful experiments. His eyes widened as he came to that conclusion.

The other man's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sasuke's name. It seemed as though he changed his mind about any information he might have divulged as he realised that Naruto was close to Sasuke.

Another mirthless laugh, and he said, "I know thinks about your dear _Sasuke_ that could make _your_ blood curdle."

"I know them too. At least, some of them. But what do you know about Sasuke?"

"The Uchiha is a murderer."

" _He's not_. He's trying to help."

"By killing children."

"By making sure they're taken care of."

"Which is a nice term for genocide."

"He's trying to make sure that no more children get taken in."

"By trying to kidnap those who have finally escaped from this living hell?"

"He's just..."

"He's just what? If he's as valiant as you call it, then it should be him sitting here and explaining himself to me. Don't fight his battles for him."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, not realising that he had stood up in his rapid efforts to defend Sasuke. He knew, to an outsider, what Sasuke did could be thought of as nothing short of evil, but Naruto knew better. He couldn't stand hearing people talk about his best friend like that.

The other man glared at him. "One should always introduce himself before demanding the same of another."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. As for how I got here, I was supposed to do something for Sasuke down here..." he said, thinking about whether it would be safe to tell this man about the reason behind it, before deciding that it didn't matter, and saying, "I was cleaning stuff up for him here because he's too busy with the FBI upstairs."

The other man froze at the mention of the 'FBI', his eyes widening, before regaining some semblance of his previous manner as he said, "'Cleaning up stuff' as in disposing of the bodies and evidence. Administrating some other form of experimentation. Who would have known? You aren't just some layman."

"No! I didn't do anything like that! Sasuke wouldn't either-"

"My name is Gaara." the other man said, gritting his teeth, the look in his eyes saying that he wouldn't think twice about snapping Naruto's spine if he thought he could get away with it.

What had Sasuke done to this man? Beneath the layers of the malice and hate, there was a look of utter desperation and despair- this man had been here for so long, he had likely forgotten what it felt like to _live_. Naruto trusted Sasuke, but sometimes he didn't agree with his methods. In that moment, he made a decision to help this man, Gaara, in whatever way he could, no matter what Sasuke said. As long as it didn't directly _hurt_ Sasuke.

"Look...Gaara. I don't know what's happened to you or why Sasuke has you in here, but believe me when I say I _want_ to help you." He said, his voice laced with genuine concern.

Perhaps it was the disarming aura Naruto possessed which made people tend to trust him wherever he went, or perhaps it was the genuine concern laced in his voice, and the desire to help which was not in any way part of a facade or disguise, but Gaara sighed resignedly and decided to start talking. Maybe Naruto would tell him something useful...

"It was between the years 2018-2020 when I escaped from this place for the first time." he said after a long sigh.

Naruto's mind raced...this man was another child experiment? One who had escaped so many years ago...

"I escaped with my younger sister. We ran far from civilization- to a place we hoped the Uchiha could never find us. But I should have known that they would find her. They wanted something from my sister; I led them to believe that I had it, not them."

His words were cryptic to some extent, but Naruto understood the gist of what they were saying. This Gaara person's sister wasn't any ordinary test subject. She must have been one who was almost successful. And that's why the Uchiha would chase her. At that time, the man in charge would have been Fugaku- Sasuke's dad. He wasn't nearly as nice as Sasuke.

"In December 2019, they found us. They took me away with them- they left her alone; it's not like she would survive for long on her own anyway. And they've kept me here ever since." he said, bitterly.

Naruto stared at him, saying, "You've been in here...for twelve years?"

"So it would seem. You're the better judge of that."

"What does Sasuke even want from you?"

"It seems my sister is alive. Your dear _Uchiha_ wants her kidnapped. Apparently keeping me here would make her more cooperative. If not, they probably would have left me to rot and die by now."

"Sasuke would never." Naruto defended.

"Believe what you want."

Of course, if this person was nearly successful, Sasuke would want to bring her in. At the very least, if she was brought in, then Sasuke could stop what was happening to all the other children. But something left him really curious.

"Gaara...who is your sister?"

"How do I know I can trust you with that?"

"Doesn't Sasuke already know? What harm could come of it?"

The redhead looked at him with a calculating, deliberating gaze. Seeming to come to an internal conclusion, he said, "Haruno. Sakura Haruno."


	35. Orange promises

**Hi! So the last chapter wasn't exactly complete was it? Here's the end to it. I know it's super short and all but the next chapter will be super long! So read, enjoy, and tell me what you think, and wait for the next chapter which should be out by Sunday.**

 **~Raven**

 **All standard disclaimers apply**

* * *

Gaara watched the blonde's eyes widen in shock.

 _Haruno. Sakura Haruno._ His words almost echoed in the room.

"Th-that's not po-" The blonde spluttered.

He knew something, Gaara deduced. The blonde's eyes had widened with recognition when he heard that name. Did that mean he knew Sakura? To his sister, was this blonde an enemy? Or a friend?

"Not possible?" Gaara interrupted, "Why? Has the Uchiha told you about her? How do you know her?"

"S-She's the girl who Sasuke's in love with!" the blonde blurted out, before leaning back suddenly, clasping his hands over his mouth, as though he had just divulged a forbidden fact.

Gaara merely blinked.

Sceptically blinked.

" _Excuse me?_?" he asked after a drawn out pause.

"Well...It's not like Sasuke'd ever _admit_ that he's in love with anyone. But I'm not blind! But that's not all...Sakura- she's one of the FBI agents who's right now assigned to guard Sasuke- I'm not exactly sure yet."

Ah. Warding back into more familiar territory. How to put this mildly: The blonde was an idiot. The Uchiha was incapable of feeling any emotion as strong as love. And if what he desired was Sakura, that was a different story. But seeing as he had only the blonde's word to rely on, he was sceptical about that too. However, that didn't make the urge to pound the Uchiha in the head till he bled the next time he saw him wasn't any less. But the idea that Sakura was for some reason or another investigating the Uchiha Corporation as part of her work, that was definitely plausible. Especially since the Uchiha brat had oh so kindly shown him the extent of the work his sister was involved with in the FBI.

"The only reason why the Uchiha brat would ever get close to my sister would be because he needs to bring her here. Without a trace. Without the Hyuga house knowing that she's been kidnapped." Gaara said.

Naruto's eyes widened. "No- That's not-"

"You're the one who asked. I'm just telling you the truth." Gaara said, eyes narrowing as he went on to say, "My sister isn't just a semi successful experiment. She's _it_. She's completely successful. With her, the Uchiha has everything he needs. He'll have her to finish his experimentation; and she'll die in the process."

If it were possible, Naruto's eyes would have stretched even wider. As it was, his eyeballs looked just about ready to pop out of his skull.

The blonde didn't look capable of tangible though; but Gaara was proved wrong as he watched the blonde arrange the facts in his head and arrive at some conclusions of his own. Realisation dawned on his face.

"How-" his voice was a half strangled whisper. He gulped loudly and tried again, "How can I help you? What do I need to do?"

Now it was Gaara's turn to sit forward in surprise. Was this man being serious? The blonde was supposedly close to the Uchiha. Why would he help Gaara of all people?

"Why? Why are you even trying to help?"

"Sakura's become something of a good friend to me. Why shouldn't I help her brother? And even if not. There's not a single person I wouldn't help in this kind of situation. Even if he's done really horrible stuff- I'd still try my hardest to give them a second chance. I don't know how well I'd do- but I'd try. And besides." his expression turned solemn. "If I can help ease the burden of guilt Sasuke will be saddled with once this is all over, even by a little bit, I'll do anything. Even if that means going against Sasuke."

Gaara stared at the blonde, shocked. Perhaps being in that place for so long had numbed his belief in people's ability to be genuinely kind, but either way he found the blonde's words touching. Would it be wise to trust Naruto? Probably not. But would Gaara trust him? The answer was yes.

"...Protect my sister."

It came as a soft, almost inaudible plea. But in that moment, the raw emotion in his voice was something Naruto empathised with perfectly. It was the plea of a man who had lost so much of his life; a man who had all but given up on ever seeing his sister again; a man who wanted nothing more than to keep his kid sister safe. And who was Naruto to deny him that?

"I promise Gaara. No matter what happens. I won't let your sister die." he said, looking the redhead in the eye.

"Don't make promises you cant keep." Gaara warned.

"I never go back on my word. I don't know when it will happen- but I'll get you out of here. You'll see your sister again. You have my word." Naruto said.

And Gaara believed him.


	36. Once upon a time

**Here's the long chapter! I was really looking forward to getting this out for you guys. Super psyched that it's finally out! This is part one of two- maybe three. I hope you like it as much as I did.  
**

 **~Raven**

* * *

 _13th February, 2017, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco_

 _He was standing in a white corridor, the smell of antiseptic in the air. To the outside eye, the place could easily be mistaken for a hospital._

 _A small boy with spiky black hair broke into a run in front of him._

 _His actions were not his own. He remembered making them. But at this point in time, they were conditioned reflexes._

 _"Sasuke! Don't run so fast! If father heard you and found out that we were here.." he hissed, looking around to see if there was anyone who had seen him._

 _"But I wanna go see them!" the little boy pouted, tugging at his elder brother's sleeve. "Hurry up 'tachi!"_

 _"We need to find mother to do that. If you keep running around like that, then **we'll** be found **before** we find her." he said, turning around another corridor._

 _"Hey! Hey! That's the room isn't it!" the little boy said as he pointed at a door which became visible on the wall ending the corridor._

 _Itachi's whisper of, "Be quiet." died on his lips as he watched his brother sprint towards said door, nudging it open before edging his way enthusiastically inside._

 _But Itachi was frozen on the spot._

 _"Deep in the meadow_

 _Under the willow_

 _A bed of grass_

 _A soft green pillow"_

 _Sasuke was already inside. Safe._

 _'Just ignore it.' He told himself._

 _'Ignore the voice and go and join Sasuke.'_

 _"Lay down your head_

 _And close your sleepy eyes_

 _And when again they open_

 _The sun will rise"_

 _'Just a few more steps. Move, Itachi.' He told himself. 'Ignore the voice. You can't chase after everything you find here.'_

 _But he couldn't stay away from that._

 _A soft voice._

 _Filled not with sorrow._

 _Or greed._

 _It was selfless._

 _At least that was the way he heard it._

 _Peaceful._

 _And filled with nothing but love._

 _"There it's safe_

 _There it's warm"_

 _He moved. But he it wasn't in the direction of the door Sasuke had disappeared behind._

 _He moved in the direction of the voice._

 _One small, unsteady step to begin with_

 _"There the daisies guard you_

 _From every harm"_

 _Curiosity led him forward. He couldn't resist the pull of her voice._

 _"There your dreams are sweet_

 _And tomorrow brings them true"_

 _His feet led him to another door. White. Pristine. No different from the countless others lining the corridor. The voice was near inaudible. But not to him._

 _Her voice spoke volumes. It wasn't a forlorn cry of longing for the one who held her heart. It wasn't an envious wish for freedom which she couldn't have. It was a wish. A wish to protect whoever she sang for. A wish for them to stay safe. Safe from everything which she couldn't protect them from._

 _His hand shook as it reached out and turned the knob._

 _"There is the place_

 _Where I love you."_

 _He saw **her**. His eyes widened as he saw her._

 _She was a frail little thing, really. She couldn't have been any older than he._

 _A soft, pale, heart shaped face with round, icy blue eyes, rosy lips and a mane of long black hair which framed her face as she turned to face him from her position, seated cross legged on a bed.  
_

 _He couldn't bring himself to look away._

* * *

25th April, 2032, 18: 32, San Francisco

The sounds of horns blaring as the traffic light switched to green jolted him out of his thoughts.

Droplets of rain splattered on his windscreen blurring the outside to a mass of dark sky and flashing lights.

When had it started raining? He hadn't noticed.

Flipping the switch to the window wipers, Itachi pulled his car out of the standstill it had reached, watching in amusement as several impatient drivers attempted to overtake him when he had failed to move with the changing lights.

He had been too caught up in his memory to realise. It was foolish, really, for him allow his memories to take hold of him. Even after so many years.

He pulled onto the relatively empty freeway, as the rain began to pour down harder.

* * *

 _28th June 2017, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco_

 _Her name was Cynthia.  
_

 _And for whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to stay away from her._

 _She wasn't that much younger than him- both of them were fifteen. And both of them were far more mature than their age let on._

 _It had been several months since he started frequenting his visits to her room. While Sasuke ran off to play with the younger kids who his mother often visited, he would find his way to wherever she was._

 _It was as though his center of gravity had changed. Before, nothing mattered more to him than his brother. That hadn't changed. But he found himself gravitating towards her. Compelled to find her again and again._

 _He couldn't get enough of her._

 _She was so different, really. So different from the others. From the people his father would prefer he mix with. She was like him, really. She could understand him. They really were similar. And yet, still, she was so different from him too._

 _Like a bird. Meant to be free, yet caged._

 _"Why do you sing?" he had asked her, one winter night when he had snuck away from a corporation party his father was holding._

 _The people he was expected to mingle with were shallow, vain and annoying. He had left at the first opportunity._

 _It was quite rare of her to sing. But when she did, they were always the same. Enthralling._

 _"I sing..." she said turning to look away from him, her gaze lingering on a point on the blank white walls, but her thoughts traveling much further, as a small smile settled on her face. "I sing for my sister."  
_

 _This was new. He hadn't known she had a sister. "Your...sister?"_

 _"She's a lot younger than me." she said._

 _"You sing for her?" he asked his thoughts straying to his own younger brother Sasuke._

 _"Orphanages have changed since the pandemic happened." she said, sadly. "You can't trust anyone. Anything. My sister is just a child. I protected her there. It wasn't much we had, but we were safe."_

 _He had never had to face anything of the sort. He never knew what it was like to fend for his life, if only to gain his next meal, or a further week alive. But hearing her talk about it was worse than experiencing it firsthand to him._

 _He wanted to take her far away, to a place where whatever horrors she had faced before could never hurt her._

 _He wanted to protect her._

 _To take her away from that place, that room, in that building, which still hurt her. That place, which kept her away from the only family she had._

 _He wanted to take her to a place where she could be loved. Because she was so very lovable._

 _He wanted to be the one to love her like that._

 _"She meant the world to me. She still does. It doesn't matter if I never see her again...never know how she becomes. I just need to know that she's safe. That she's happy. From the second she was born, it's always been that way. Its like-"_

 _"Like nothing else would ever matter to you. No amount of pain would ever be too much for you. So long as they live on." he finished for her._

 _He sat, shocked as he looked at her, who looked back at him with an equally shocked expression._

 _He had always thought that nobody would ever be able to understand how he felt about Sasuke. Nobody would ever know about how deep his care for his younger brother. But here she was, breaking down yet another barrier to his heart._

 _She made him lower his defences. She made him feel at ease. She made him feel complete._

 _And perhaps, in his heart, in the order of who he holds most important to him, a new space had opened up besides his brother._

 _As though she had found her way past his walls, and led herself into his heart, staking claim on it._

* * *

25th April, 19:37, Roads of San Francisco.

He gripped the handle of his steering wheel tighter as he realised he had driven straight past his exit on the freeway.

The rain was messing with his vision, the memories messing with his head.

Who was he to chide Sasuke for engaging himself emotionally with their target, if he couldn't stop thinking about _one girl_ from a past long forgotten?

Sighing, he pulled a U-turn at the next exit, speeding down the wet roads once again.

* * *

 _25th January 2018, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco_

 _"You are to stop meeting her."_

 _Itachi looked at his father, a tall sturdy man, who was pacing behind his desk in the large office. An office which could belong only to the head of the Uchiha Corporation._

 _Fugaku Uchiha was an imposing man. A shrewd one too._

 _Standing in front of the desk, Itachi sighed. It had been almost a year since he had met Cynthia. He should have known his father would find out eventually._

 _Feigning an air of ignorance, he said, "Meeting who?"_

 _"You know who I mean- that brat in the basement."_

 _He bristled at his father's spiteful tone. "She has a name. It's rude not to use it."_

 _His father stopped pacing and stopped at his desk. "Do I look like I care about being rude to scum like that?"_

 _Cynthia was the farthest thing possible from so called 'scum'. Not that it would help Itachi to mention that._

 _"I don't see the harm in meeting-"_

 _"I told you to stop meeting with her. You will listen to me."_

 _"Why?"_

 _Itachi wasn't one for being irrational. Or indignant. But hearing his father talk against her with such conviction moved him to pose questions that could easily land him in a precarious position._

 _"Why? Why shouldn't my word be enough for you to listen?!" he hissed._

 _Itachi raised his head, his dark, calculating eyes locking with the equally dark orbs his father possessed. "Why should it?"_

 _Fugaku looked at him, internally deliberating how much information he should divulge to his son._

 _Sighing, he said, "She is an experiment. Her individuality was forfeit the minute she set foot in this place. You would do wise to do nothing that could interfere with the laboratory proceedings."_

 _Horror. That was the first expression that crossed his face as he registered his father's words. How could someone so nonchalantly talk about human experimentation with no injury or guilt layered on their conscience? Rather, how could his father stoop as low as to strip a person of their humanity and reduce them to nothing more than an experiment?  
_

 _Disgust at his father followed. How his father's biggest concern had been that the experiments were being 'interfered' with. Disgust at the whole process._

 _And outrage. Anger on behalf of the girl he had grown to care for to such extremes._

 _All this lay behind his impassive mask- one which years of living in his father's world of corruption and greed had taught him._

 _"I hope you understand what I mean. You are to no longer meet with her." his father said, sighing and turning towards the large window behind his desk. "You can leave now."_

 _Itachi turned and left._

 _But he didn't listen._

 _Rather his father's words only served to fuel his actions._

 _His feet took him to the elevators._

 _They took him to the floors below._

 _The laboratory floors, he realised with distaste. How many others were like that? His mother had never answered his queries when he asked about the mass of kids she kept visiting._

 _His feet led him to the white door where he knew she should be at this time of day._

 _He didn't wait for anything._

 _Thrusting open the door, he walked inside._

 _She lay on the bed, propped up by several pillows._

 _Nothing seemed wrong about her, if anything she looked slightly more pale or sickly than usual._

 _But he saw her in a new light. More delicate. Like glass. Like she might break if he weren't careful. Like she might disappear if he didn't act soon._

 _Seeing him come in, she sat up, rising to her feet and moving towards him._

 _Her voice called out to him. "Itachi? Is something wrong?"_

 _He didn't reply. He couldn't. His actions spoke for themselves._

 _He walked up to her, his arms circling around her as he pulled her into a tight embrace._

 _One hand moving to her chin, he tilted her head upwards, and gently pressed his lips to hers._

 _Gentle, not too rough, but strong. Trying to show her just how much she meant to him._

 _His actions always did speak louder than words._

* * *

25th April, 2032, San Francisco, Time- 21:03

He suddenly came to a screeching halt as he floored the breaks.

A dead end. He had been so distracted he had made his way into a dead end.

Sitting back and bringing a hand to his forehead, he sighed heavily.

It had been so long since he had last let his emotions grip him so strongly.

He sat there, calming his breaths, in his car, as the evening moved into early night.

* * *

 _17th August, 2018, Uchiha Corporation, San Francisco_

 _He decided that he hated seeing her in pain.  
_

 _Of course he did._

 _But if he thought she had been in pain, it was nothing compared to the first time he had seen her in the laboratory._

 _When he went to find her as per his usual visit, she had been nowhere to be seen._

 _Not in any of the rooms she was frequently placed in._

 _But he had looked past that, searching for her in the vast expanse of tiled hallways._

 _Eventually he had found a door to what must have been one of the laboratories. He hadn't been able to make his presence known. He had watched from the doorway, hidden in shadows._

 _He had watched as they hurt her. Tested her. Injure her._

 _He had watched every small expression of pain on her face. Pain which she tried desperately not to show. But he knew better. He knew her better than anyone else ever could._

 _He had watched. But he couldn't do anything to help her._

 _And that was what hurt the most._

* * *

25th April, 2032, San Francisco, Time- 21:18

At this rate, he wouldn't get back home before midnight.

Bur at this point, he no longer cared.

It felt so much more alleviating to sit and let the memories flood him. Rather than keeping them locked away all the time. It reminded him of why he was doing everything. Why he even helped Sasuke continue with the experimentation. What he was working for.

Because in light of recent things, he had found his resolve wavering.

* * *

 _26th December, 2018, Financial District, San Francisco_

 _"What if they find us? What if they find out I'm gone?"  
_

 _"I spoke to my mother. She said she'll cover for us. Don't worry. Just relax." he reassured her._

 _"Where are you taking me, Itachi?" she asked, curiosity filling her voice._

 _"When was the last time you saw the world outside?" he countered her question._

 _She had no answer to that._

 _"Just let me do **something** for you." he said, tugging at her hand. "Trust me. Okay?"_

 _She fell silent, nodding as he slipped them out of the building._

 _He watched her intently, noting the mix of her expressions of happiness, awe and wonder upon seeing the night sky, feeling the cool breeze blow in her face, and seeing the tall, sleek buildings that had risen out of San Francisco's financial district. How her clear blue eyes widened at the breeze which toyed with her now waist long black locks, and the small red tinge that dusted her high cheekbones. It was likely her first time outside in almost seven years._

 _Beautiful was too weak a word to describe how he found her._

 _Pulling his arms around her with a light kiss to the forehead, he handed her a smooth black helmet and said, "Put this on. Come on I'll show you my bike."_

 _He had taken so much pleasure in seeing the pleasantly surprised expression which crossed her face once she realised that he was the owner of said motorcycle. Considering the nights could easily become chilly, he had made sure that she wore a thick jacket before he brought her out._

 _"Where are we going?" she asked, as she took his helmet and followed him to his bike, straddling the seat behind him._

 _Taking hold of her arms, he wrapped them tightly around his chest and said, "You'll see."_

 _"You don't need to do this much, Itachi. Coming this far is really better than anywhere I've been for ages. You don't need-"_

 _He turned around to face her, cutting her off with a kiss. Pulling back, he said, "I don't need to. I want to."_

 _The drive took about an hour- an hour which they both enjoyed - for being in each others' company, and for her being re accustomed to what San Francisco had become._

 _When they finally arrived at their destination, all she was faced with was the crystal clear, inky black sky above, dotted with myriads of stars in clear focus and detail uncanny and near unnatural._

 _He watched as she stood transfixed, staring at the skies. He had chosen a new moon night for a reason. It was worth it to see the expression on her face as she mapped each star._

 _He knew she knew more than she technically should have been given her background. She knew things. She knew things which could easily count as meaningless details. But she knew them nonetheless._

 _She turned to him, seemingly at a loss for words._

 _He smiled. Genuinely **smiled**. Not his trademark Uchiha smirk _

_And then, he pointed downwards._

 _They were at some point near the summit of Mound Diablo; it was little more than an hour till sunrise._

 _From their vantage point, they could see the entirety of San Francisco stretched out before them- up until the San Francisco bay and the Golden Gate Bridge._

 _He heard her gasp in surprise._

 _"Any words now?" he asked._

 _She was speechless._

 _"One day. I'm only sixteen now. One day I'm going to become the head of the Uchiha Corporation. I'll hold the reins to that sick experimentation they have going on. I'll shut it down. Every last part of it. I'll make sure nothing like that can ever happen again. And I won't ever let them hurt you again. We're together now. I won't let anything change that."_

 _He may have been getting carried away. But he couldn't help it. It was rare of him to love something so much. But when he did, he would never let it go. He would never let her go._

 _"Itachi-"_

 _"We can get married. We'll have kids. We'll find your sister- wherever she is- and make sure she's okay too. We'll grow old together. We'll be happy. And nothing- none of this can ever hurt you. We can grow old to the smell of eucalyptus, and watch the sun rise over the mountains every day. Or...Or if you want, it doesn't have to be in San Francisco. We can go anywhere you want. As long as we're together, right? We'll have a future. A happy future. I promise."_

 _She stood transfixed, looking at him._

 _Had he said too much? Had he done something wrong?_

 _She broke into a smile. The same forlorn smile that he had grown so enamoured with. But it was more than forlorn. Anguished. Shattered. Heartbroken. But why? His arm urged to reach out and destroy whatever it was that brought that smile to her face. To incinerate whatever stood in the way of her happiness. Their happiness._

 _Slowly, hesitantly, she walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck and leaning into his embrace. He held her tightly, breathing in her scent. She slowly lifted her head, looking at him, and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to his lips._

 _He felt the warmth of her lips on his. But also saw the glistening tears that had pooled in the corner of her eyes._

 _Dare he say it, tears of love. But far more than that, tears of pure sorrow._

 _"Itachi... " she said, pulling away as he saw the silvery lines the tears traced down her cheeks._

 _"I'm dying."_


	37. Bittersweet

**How to say this...I'm really, really sorry this came out so late. I've been real busy lately but that's no excuse. Eitherway, this marks the end of my undeclared 'break'. So I'll be updating all of my stories from here out- especially since vacations are in!**

 **Nobody really reviewed my last chapter so I have no idea if you guys liked it... I for one really liked writing it so I guess I'm gonna continue with this mini arc for now. Do tell me what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did, but don't we all. Unfortunately, I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

25th April, 2032, San Francisco, Time- 21:25.

Shaking out of his doleful reverie, Itachi revved the engine, pulling out of the dead end he had been stagnated at. Home be damned, he didn't care what anyone thought of his absence that night. He knew where he wanted to be, and his hands took him in that direction.

The car pulled onto the highway that would take him to Mount Diablo.

* * *

 _"You can help her."_

 _It had taken him so long to track this man down. Now finally there, Itachi could barely contain himself._

 _"What makes you think I can?" the long haired man asked, turning towards Itachi from across the desk, in the small study of the house Itachi had finally located._

 _"You cured the pandemic-years ago."_

 _Pale eyes widened with surprise. "How- how do you know that?"_

 _"It doesn't matter what matters is that you cured it." Itachi said, only one thought on his mind._

 _"That's only because I knew how it happened. It was years ago. Times change." the other man said, his tone even and deliberately light._

 _He was trying to send him away. After so long spent trying to locate the man who could help save Cynthia, said man was trying to turn his back on them. A small sliver of desperation crept into his voice as he further explained her situation. "She-she's dying. She's an -"_

 _"An experiment. A child experiment. Dying probably as a direct result of the experimented genetic mutation." he said, long hair shadowing his face._

 _It was Itachi's turn to feel his own eyes widen in surprise. "How did you-?"_

 _"Know? I cured the pandemic. I know all about what the Uchiha Corporation really is." he said grimly._

 _"Then- then why haven't you **done** anything yet?!" Done something. Something to stop the experimentation. Something that could have stopped it from happening to Cynthia. And all the other kids._

 _"I did. I tried. They killed my wife for it." he said, his face darkening into a scowl as he continued, "I try again; they take my son. Put him through the same thing your girl went through."_

 _"But-" Itachi started._

 _He cut him off before he could speak. "The Uchiha have eyes everywhere. The police. The government. The jury. Hospitals. Mafia. FBI. You can't escape. The only thing they can't infiltrate yet is the Hyuga -but if take refuge there, that changes."_

 _"But you have to-" Have to help. Have to do something to stop it. Or help in some way._

 _"I don't have to do anything. If I help you, they'll know. They'll kill me. I have to be strong for my son. Support him. They'll take him away. Even if I risked my own life - I can't risk his." he said, before walking to the door and saying, "Get the hell out of here before they find out you were here. I can't help you."_

 _He opened the door and motioned for Itachi to leave._

 _Itachi stood there frozen. She was slipping through his fingers. Like sand. Just when he finally found a lead on how to help her, she was slipping even further away._

 _" She's dying..." he said, letting his emotions take control of him against his better judgement._

 _"She's dying at 17 years old, and **you** cannot help her. She's there, and so are countless other kids who are **no older than your son**. You could've helped them. Stopped this. You're not being strong for your son. You're being a coward." if he hadn't angered the older man before, he certainly had by then. And yet desperation laced his voice as he continued._

 _"But you know what? I'm not even asking you to make up for not helping them. I'm asking you to help me save **one** life. One girl. A girl who means more to me than life itself. A girl who's lost far too much to ever have to lose again. A girl whose never once seen daylight in all of the last 7 years. A girl who... who... who deserves a chance to be free, and to never feel pain again."_

 _He had had enough. The other man's expression hadn't changed._

 _"I'm sorry. I can't help you. Now leave before they find out you were here."_

 _Itachi's jaw clenched. This man wouldn't help them? Fine. They didn't need his help in that case. He stalked away out of the open door._

 _As he left the front door of the house, about to walk to his motorcycle which he had left outside, he was stopped._

 _"Wait!"_

 _He turned around to find the scientist striding towards him._

 _A hint of annoyance seeped into his voice as he said, "What do you want now?"_

 _The man had already refused to help. What more would he do? Rub it in?_

 _"I'll help you."_

 _Itachi stared at the long haired brunette. What had made him change his mind?_

 _His lips curled up in a smile as he extended a hand of greeting. "Itachi Uchiha."_

 _Pale eyes surveyed him one last time before sighing resignedly and shaking his hand. "Hisashi Hyuga."_

* * *

 _"Itachi..." she started, a serious note to her voice as she saw him at the door, before he walked into the room and pulled her into his arms, her back pressed flush against his chest._

 _She frowned slightly, a hint of affectionate exasperation in her voice as she tried again. "Itachi-"_

 _He distracted her, his lips pressing slow, gentle butterfly kisses along the sensitive nape of her neck._

 _He felt her melt under his touch and lace her cool, slender fingers into his hair as she tugged him closer. Suddenly stiffening, he felt her push him away, once again assuming a serious tone as she said, "Itachi."_

 _Reluctantly, he pulled away, allowing her enough room to turn around and face him._

 _"Hisashi agreed. He's going to help us." he said. Though his expressions did not give away much to the untrained eye, she could practically see his overwhelming happiness at the fact. It seemed to further dampen her mood._

 _"He can cure you-" Itachi started, feeling as though he were grasping a rope that led him out of the pit of despair the idea of losing her had brought._

 _"Itachi." she said, cutting him off. "I think we should stop seeing each other."_

 _A moment's silence followed. "What?!" Itachi asked, unsure if he had heard her properly._

 _"You should stop coming to meet me."_

 _"What?! But I just said-" he started, surprise evident at her words._

 _"What are the chances that he'll actually be able to heal me? What makes you think I want to be cured like that?" she asked, clear blue eyes piercing his._

 _"What are you talking about? You can't be serious." It didn't make sense. He couldn't understand why she would bring this up now when he was hell bent on saving her. He couldn't understand why she thought her words would deter him either._

 _"Serious? I'm dead serious. It'll be better this way. In a few weeks, they'll move me into intensive genetic alteration. They don't plan on me coming out of this alive. And then everything goes back to how it was before. Before we met. You'll move on. I'll be gone. As though we never knew each other." she said, a sad smile on her face._

 _"Stop." he said, his voice ragged, as he stopped her in her tracks. "Just stop." she took a step away from him, but he took another step forward, saying, "Do you have any idea how much it's been **tearing me apart** knowing that you're sitting here, slowly **dying** , as a result of something **my** father did, while I've had to go about my daily life, acting like it **doesn't matter at all**?" he said._

 _He was hardly one for expression emotion. But then again, there were never any limits with her. There never would be. She knew him better than anyone could. He had no reservations around her._

 _She looked at him, her eyes reflecting the anguish in his own._

 _"I-Itachi-" That single word conveyed so much of her pain. Desperation. Desolation._

 _"I don't care if it's less than 1% a chance of you coming out of this alive.. I will grab at it. You can't- you can ask me a lot of things, but you can't ask me to stay away from you. I can't...I mean, if you die..." he couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't even think of a world without her. Perhaps people thought it silly or melodramatic for him feeling so strongly at such a stage. But for him, it was her. It was always her._

 _"You think that I asked you to do this? I didn't ask you to find me. I didn't ask you to come into my life! My sister already thinks I'm dead. She was all I had before. I would have been able to accept that I'm going to die without a single regret if you hadn't shown up in my life and embedded yourself so deep ion my mind that I can't spend even a moment without being flooded by thoughts of you. As you said, it will hurt you **so** much if I die, and **I know it** , and it's tearing **me** apart knowing that, and its hurting me far, **far more**. Stay- stay away from me! If you don't see me, you can forget about me...forget I ever existed...forget I died. I-I ..I love you too much to know that you'll be hurt by me if I die...I'd rather die than hurt you..."_

 _He could feel the raw, unbridled emotion in her voice as tears flooded her cheeks, clenching his heart as though it were being shattered into a million broken fragments. Her tears hurt him. And the selflessness yet underlying selfishness of her words was what struck him the most. Sh loved him selflessly; and for his sake tried to make it so that he wouldn't be hurt if she died. Yet it was selfish of her on some level; she without giving him a choice, chose to distance herself from him out of love- yet that was what **she** wanted, not he._

 _"I don''t care if you've accepted that you're going to die. I haven't. I. Will. Not. Stop. Until I find a way to save you. And if I can't then I deserve to be as hurt as humanely possible for not saving you." he meant every word of it. And in a test of stubbornness, he always won._

 _Her hands flew to her eyes to try and wipe away her tears as she spoke. "You don't get it. I've done everything possible to find out about my condition. I'm not even supposed to have this disease. It shouldn't exist. It would never have harmed me. It was their experiments which destroyed the normal genes, and activated the abnormal genes. This isn't any **normal** disease. It can't be cured. No trying in the world can save it. So it's just...better to stay away." she said, her voice sinking to a dejected whisper as she finished._

 _But her words did not deter him. They just convinced him more that Hisashi could help her. And fuelled his hatred towards his father's operations._

 _And even if Hisashi couldn't help..._

 _"If he can't heal you, I'll go elsewhere. I'll track as many scientists or doctors as possible. I'll go to the ends of the world for you. Just don't...don't ask me to give up on you." he said, once again walking up to her, pulling her into another strong embrace as he sat down, her curling up on his lap, her head resting on his collar bone._

 _Gently stroking her hair, smoothing it around one shoulder and away from her face, he heard her unsteady breathing slowly even out. Along with it, his racing breath and heart calmed, as he drank in her presence. The soft feminine woodland scent which enveloped her, the silky feel of her hair between his fingers, the way her slender body fit snugly against him, and the gentle feel of her heat radiating off onto him. Moments like those, they would last forever. He wouldn't let her die. He couldn't._

 _"When I die..." she said, after a few long moments of calm. He frowned at her words but didn't interrupt her as she spoke. "When I die, you're going to find someone else. Love someone else. Grow old loving them; just as much, if not more than you'd love me. You're going to become head of this organisation. Stop anything like this from happening ever again. Help the kids to get their lives on track."_

 _Aside from the 'find someone new' part, he would have done that without being told either way. But her compassion was another thing which made him love her more._

 _"You're going to find that sweet little girl- the one who your mother helped escape a few weeks ago- Gaara's sister."_

 _"The one who Sasuke is attached to?" he asked._

 _"Yes, her. You're going to find her and bring her back to Sasuke. I can't see either of them ever being anywhere else if not with each other."_

 _"Really?" he asked with a slight chuckle, remembering his brother's trio of inseparable friends, of whom the pink haired girl was part._

 _"Those two- they have something beautiful. They're still so young...but there's really nothing more perfect than how they are together. Seeing them, I actually believe that soulmates exist. Make sure they stay that way."_

 _'Like we could have been.' remained unspoken._

 _"You're going to wake every morning surrounded by the people you love...you won't need me any more, then. You'll have your brother, and your wife, kids...And if you have time, in all that, find my sister. Make sure she's okay. Make sure she knows...that her sister loved her." her voice cracked as she returned to nuzzling his chest._

 _He didn't need to be asked. His world revolved around her and his brother. He'd do anything for them._

 _"Alright." he said, a smile curling his lips._

 _She drew back, blue eyes widening in surprise as she looked up at him. "Really? All of it?"_

 _"Yes. All of it. I'll do it."_

 _She looked at him in disbelief, surprised that he had accepted her words so readily. "Really?" she asked again._

 _He grinned. "You started with 'when I die'. I don't plan on letting you die for a **long** time now. I'll grow old with you. Be a family with you. Be loved by you. And everything else you said? We'll do it together." he said, looking down at her with nothing held back. He could always be free around her._

 _And as her eyes widened again with surprise, he saw a glimmer of hope in them._

 _A glimmer was all he needed._

 _He pulled her up so she straddled his legs, her head now inches above his, and caught her off guard, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss._

* * *

 _"Your friend has a particularly vicious type of anaemia. It's practically unheard of."_

 _Itachi looked at the pale eyed scientist from across his laboratory. It was near midnight, and it was the only time he could visit the Hyuga scientist's laboratory without observation._

 _"Then how do you cure it?" Itachi asked.  
_

 _"I have my ways.I know what kind of experimentation led to it happening. I can fix it too. It will take time. But it can happen."  
_

 _"So she's not going to die?" Itachi said, hope bubbling.  
_

 _"There is a separate complication." he said hesitantly.  
_

 _Itachi frowned. "What? What is it?"_

 _"The cure itself. The process of healing. It's called gene therapy. It's quite dangerous in itself. Her body could reject it. Or it could turn virulent and kill her."_

 _He bit his lip in frustration. "What are the chances of her surviving?"_

 _"For a normal person, with this disease, none. But with hope, her genetic alteration can work to her advantage too. I can use it and manipulate it to help the gene therapy."_

 _"And so you can cure her?"_

 _"I'll say there's an 80% chance of her coming out of it alive. Compared to other figures, it's as good as a cure."  
_

 _Something was bett_ _er than nothing. He's do whatever it took to help her. And 80%... she could survive that, right?_

 _"I'll take any chance we have."  
_

* * *

 _"I'm going to ask you this once more, Mikoto."_

 _Fugaku's steely cold whisper was what drew Itachi's attention and stopped him in his tracks just before he entered his mother's chambers._

 _His eyes widened in surprise. His mother and father hardly spoke any more- what was his father doing now, in her room of all places, in the late hours of the morning?_

 _"You should know by now, Fugaku, it's no use playing this game with me." his mother's condescending cold voice instantly told him that something was wrong._

 _Quickly moving to the neighbouring room, he watched from the keyhole of the door that adjoined both rooms. His father stood towering over the slender frame of his mother, his expression manic with rage, while hers was impassively calm._

 _His father spoke in a low, menacing whisper._

 _"I can have you **taken away** \- locked up and_ **isolated** _for the **rest of your life**. You'll never see your children again- that is, assuming they survive the procedure." he said, his words cruel, "So I **advise** you **rethink** your steps **carefully**. For the sake of both yourself and your children."_

 _" **Our** children, Fugaku, not **mine**. You wouldn't dare harm them." she said, further taunting him.  
_

 _"If they are are truly my children they will survive what happens to them." he said, his voice a low growl._

 _"You cannot deny that they are your own flesh and blood." she said, a hint of threatening malice flashing through her eyes._

 _"Perhaps **that** is why they have such bad taste when it comes to women." he said spitefully._

 _"That's not what you say when you bed me." she teased mirthlessly._

 _If it weren't for the gravity of their voices, Itachi would have left there and then. Hearing about the intimate life of his parents was the last thing on his agenda._

 _"And yet here you are. betraying me. Tell me- when was it? Did you start after we married? Or were you antagonistic to my operations from the moment we met?" Fugaku asked, glaring at the woman in front of him._

 _"It is hardly a betrayal if your action are so horrific. You may have sold your soul to the devil but I will not. You can burn in hell alone."_

 _"Your actions have only served to further their suffering. More of these children will suffer if you hide and protect the successful few you have helped to escape. You forget Mikoto, you may hate me as I hate you, but we are tied together. If I burn in hell, you burn with me."_

 _They stood, glaring at each other, locked in a constant battle of gazes, before Itachi watched as his mother sighed and said, "What do you want, Fugaku?"_

 _She was bored, her gaze wandering over his face and then to their surroundings as they stood mere inches apart._

 _"I will drop this argument and overlook what you have done with the rest of the experiments- provided you give us **one** location. **Where. Is. She?** "_

 _"Who?"_

 _"Haruno. Sakura Haruno."_

 _She gave him a long, calculating glare, before saying, "I'd rather die than hand her location over to the likes of **you**."_

 _He stopped abruptly, and stepped away, speaking to a third party in the room, who had perhaps been watching the whole exchange, but stood beyond Itachi's scope of vision._

 _"Take her away."_

 _The third party, a hooded figure clad in black, became visible as he moved forward and grabbed Mikoto by the arm,_

 _"Wait!" she snarled, yanking her arm out of the hooded figure's grasp. She fixed Fugaku with a loathsome glower._

 _"If you do this to me- to our sons- you lose all and any emotion or respect I still might bear towards you. And any further compliance."_

 _His father's lips curled into an almost sadistic smirk as he said, "But **Mikoto** ," he laughed mirthlessly, "I don't **need** your emotion, or your respect, or even your compliance to get what I want from you. You are **mine** anyway."_

 _The hooded figure once again took hold of her and Itachi watched as his mother was dragged out of the room, to the hallway._

 _Itachi raced across the room to the other door, rushing on to the hallway to intercept his mother's captor._

 _But as he ran into the hallway, he was left with an empty corridor; neither his father nor his mother, nor even her captor, were anywhere in sight._

* * *

 _"'tachi? Brother? Where's our mother? Where's she gone? Why isn't she back yet? Is-is it true what dad said?"_

 _It sometimes struck Itachi how much Sasuke had grown. From a small baby who could fit in his two hands, to an eleven year old, growing young boy. But sometimes Itachi forgot just how young his brother still was._

 _Now, he did not see any of the rambunctious kid Sasuke had grown to be. None of the subtly arrogance he carried himself with. Now, he saw a young, hesitant boy, afraid and unsure of what to do, and turning to his longest role model on what to do, now that their mother was... **gone**._

 _Itachi put an arm on his brother's shoulder. "She tried to help them, Sasuke. She tried to help them. And they took her away. Don't believe what your father tells you. He's the reason why she's gone."_

 _"But-" he watched as Sasuke struggled to comprehend what he had said, the pain of yet another loss showing up raw in his eyes. He watched a small angered glint harden his brother's dark eyes. Anger toward their father? Or the corporation?_

 _In a sense, the boy had lost both parents. His mother taken far away indefinitely. And his father, a traitor to what they deemed right. A harsher loss. A stronger pain. Itachi had long nursed his anger toward his father for what was happening to Cynthia. But Sasuke was naive. Ignorant of his father's involvement in his friends' captivity._

 _"Don't worry, Sasuke." Itachi said, ruffling the smaller boy's hair. Sasuke looked up to Itachi, and he took the opportunity to endearingly poke his brother in the forehead, "We'll find her. We'll stop this. Find all of them. And everything will be okay._

 _And though Itachi himself was afraid to believe it, he sincerely hoped it was true._

 _Plagued by worry and pain over his mother's loss and anger toward his father, which was numbed by the knowledge of Cynthia's impending cure and worry over her in general. Itachi assured his brother that the outcome would be fine. But did he believe it himself? He had no choice but to. What else would keep him sane?_

* * *

 **Tell me what you think! Leave a review! And I hope you liked it!**


	38. Salvation

_Dead._

 _Hisashi was dead._

 _Murdered._

 _And it was all Itachi's fault._

 _He had been warned. Warned that the Uchiha would target HIsashi if he tried to help Cynthia. But did Itachi listen? Obviously not. Now Hisashi was dead, Itachi consumed by guilt, and Cynthia another step closer to death._

 _The very idea of her impending death threatened to engulf him in a sea of helpless panic.  
_

 _Would he still be able to save her? When he met a new dead end at each turn? When everything seemed to be spiraling faster into a rapid crescendo of death and destruction? Could he help her? Or would she die..._

 _No. He refused to think of that. He wouldn't let her die. He'd find someone else who could help. He'd do anything to help cure her. Losing her was not an option._

 _But that didn't change the fact that it was still his fault._

 _Hisashi Hyuga was dead, and nobody was to blame but him._

 _And the guilt was something so consuming. Far worse than anything he'd want to live with. It was overwhelming. And Itachi hated it._

 _He had had a son. That son was barely older than Sasuke. Twelve- maybe thirteen years old. And now, orphaned._

 _The guilt was crippling._

 _It had too much of an emotional toll for him, in some ways. Some might think Itachi felt no emotions- but that wasn't true. He chose not to show those emotions unless he trusted completely his company. But he felt many emotions. More so than many others, it could be said._

 _It had been only been the previous day, hadn't it, that he had watched his mother and father talk? And the night before, when Hisashi told him about the successful cure?_

 _Neji Hyuga. That was his name of Hisashi's son.  
_

 _And he was currently staying with his cousins, at a mansion which housed the main Hyuga household._

 _Itachi was on his way to the elevator which he knew would take him back to his solace once again, when he heard hushed, harsh whispers distracting him from his path._

 _The door of his father's office sat slightly ajar, Itachi edged closer, his brow furrowed suspiciously. Hadn't his father done enough already? What more was he trying to do?_

 _"I want his house ransacked. And burned down. Do it tonight."_

 _Itachi's eyes widened in surprise as he heard his father's stern voice. The muffled indiscernible reply told him that Fugaku was speaking with someone over the phone. After listening to what must have been the reply, Fugaku once again spoke. "The house could have all sorts of research and results which we can't have getting out. Better to have it all destroyed. I expect it done by morning."_

 _Without stopping to hear the rest of the conversation, Itachi stumbled away from the door, quickly leaving the corridor, going back the way he had come._

 _He chided himself for not having thought of it sooner- Hisashi's research hadn't yet been destroyed. If Itachi searched the house, he could find some clue as to what research Hisashi had done till then. He could take it to someone else- someone else who could use it to cure Cynthia.  
_

 _Though he was reluctant to get his hopes up, he couldn't help but feel a little of the ugly weight that had settled over him lift slightly._

* * *

 _Hisashi's house wasn't just unoccupied- it was downright unnerving._

 _As Itachi hesitantly walked over the creaky wooden flooring, a hand trailed over the wall searching for a nonexistent light switch in the hallway, his mind wandered._

 _Not only had he been a part of Hisashi's death- now, here he was, trespassing on a dead man's land, in blatant disrespect for his resting soul. Not that Itachi had anything but the highest respect for Hisashi, but something still didn't sit right with him as he tread lightly, entering the room he knew to be Hisashi's laboratory._

 _The room, shrouded in darkness, with no telling what lurked in the shadows, was ominous and imposing; until Itachi's hand found a switchboard, flipping the nearest switch and watching the room illuminate, a wooden desk with a large microscope, a few other apparatus, and stacks of paper littering the polished surface coming into existence in the center of the room._

 _A bookshelf lined the far wall, next to it another desk with a computer on it._

 _On the desk, a large dusty tome sat open on a marked page, a half empty mug of cold tea sitting next to it._

 _An uncomfortable burning sensation bubbled up in Itachi's throat as he realised that must have been the last thing Hisashi drank the previous night, as he continued his research, moments before his father's hit men murdered him in cold blood._

 _Walking closer to the computer, Itachi noted a light blinking on and off at the bottom of the screen. The computer hadn't been properly shut down- it must have been gone into hibernation from being left unattended for too long._

 _Taking one last look around the room, almost feeling ghostly eyes on him, Itachi sat down and turned on the computer._

 _When obstructed by a password, Itachi on a whim entered the characters to form the name 'Neji' on the electronic screen. There must have been some logic to the whim, as the screen unlocked, revealing a list of numerical entries and compiled data._

 _Given time, Itachi could have tried- to some degree- to interpret the data, but his attention was drawn to another open tab- a document, which upon opening, appeared to be an analysis on the expected effects of an artificially introduced serum. What drew his attention was the heading. The subheading mentioned an intended patient: Cynthia. Date of creation was the previous day, and the footnote mentioned a sample serum, kept in a labelled syringe._

 _Itachi almost bolted from his seat in surprise. Hisashi had done it? Developed a cure for Cynthia?_

 _More than willing to believe it, yet wary of the disappointment that could await him if it weren't true. He reread the document, this time noticing the warning; an estimated 40% survival rate.  
_

 _Which meant there was only a 40% chance she would survive. He could lose her._

 _A small chance was better than none- maybe he could take the serum to someone else, to develop, increase the chances._

 _In that moment, words could not express the immense gratitude he felt for Hisashi in that moment. Even dead, he had given him a key to help her again._

 _Walking to a shelf which contained an assortment of jars, flasks and syringes, Itachi searched for a syringe with the label mentioned in the document. Finding a small box with said label, he picked it up, hesitantly opening it._

 _Inside were three small syringes, a single needle sealed in a plastic case._

 _Once again looking around in paranoia, Itachi slipped the box into his pocket, now turning to the old tome that lay on the desk in front of him._

 _A cold, slightly accent-laden voice cut through the empty room, startling Itachi enough for him to snap his head in the direction of the door._

 _"What are you doing here?"_

 _The boy who stood in the doorway couldn't have been older than thirteen. His long brown hair was near identical to his fathers, and his face was set in a suspicious scowl._

 _Itachi recognised the boy immediately. After all, he had spent most of his day worried for him, the son Hisashi had left behind. But what was Neji, who should have been safely in the company of his uncle's family, mourning the loss of his father doing there?_

 _Then again, the answer lay in the question itself. The boy was in mourning. Of course he would have wanted to revisit the house of his late father._

 _"I could ask the same of you." Itachi said, answering the kid's earlier question._

 _"This isn't your house."_

 _"And as of now, nor is it yours."_

 _The younger boy's eyes flickered with pain, before he spoke. "You're that boy aren't you? The one who kept coming to meet my father? What do you want from him? Do you know who killed him?" his voice was accusatory, but vulnerable._

 _Itachi softened, seeing an echo of his brother, and also of Hisashi, in the young boy. "Your father was helping me. With something important to me. I only hoped I'd find something here to help."_

 _"Helping you with what? Is it connected to his death?" the boy lashed out._

 _Itachi took one last look around the room, almost sighing, before looking back at the boy. He had every intention of talking to the child- anything to quell the guilt that had welled up in him- but a dead man's home filled with the ghosts of the past was hardly a place to have that conversation with a child in mourning._

 _He walked towards the doorway, saying, "First things first, I think introductions are in order. My name is Itachi. Itachi Uchiha. You, on the other hand, are Neji Hyuga, aren't you?" He held out a hand in greeting._

 _Neji extended a pale hand to meet Itachi's, shaking it as he nodded._

 _"Why don't you accompany me, Neji? I was going to find lunch somewhere; company would be much appreciated."_

 _The boy glared at him, his suspicion obvious as he looked around the room, eyes lingering on the walls of the room._

 _"I can tell you more about what I know of your father's death if you come along." Itachi added._

 _The younger boy's eyes snapped back to Itachi, as he nodded, saying, "I'll come with you."_

 _Several minutes later, they were at a small cafe located more centrally in the city._

 _"What were you talking about earlier? You know something about the people who killed my father?" Neji asked immediately after they had placed their orders and dismissed the waitress.  
_

 _'He's quite perceptive. I wonder how much he was able to deduce already.' Itachi mused as he said, "Before that, Neji, I'd like to know what you know? How much you've speculated- don't give me that look, you're smart enough to have formed your own conclusions."_

 _Neji, still glaring at Itachi, said, "Somebody wanted my father dead for the new research project he had picked up. I expect, whoever it is who wanted him dead is the same person who's hurt whoever it is you're trying to save. Most probably, you were well aware of the risks involved when you asked my father for help, and know exactly who killed him, if you're not in league with them already."_

 _Surprised, Itachi saw the boy seated across from him in a new light. He was incredibly perceptive if he had figured out so much by that point- an intellectual equal, perhaps even. And possibly...an ally?_

 _"That's...very interesting. And startlingly accurate. Mind telling me how you came to that conclusion?" Itachi asked._

 _"Before that, I believe you owe me an explanation." he quipped, not letting Itachi entirely take control of the conversation._

 _Itachi almost unconsciously found himself smirking at that. 'Touche.'He supposed he'd be as honest as possible, with as little possible injury to the boy.  
_

 _"Have you ever loved someone who's dying?" Itachi asked, leaning forward, his chin resting on clasped fingers._

 _Not giving Neji a chance to reply, he went on, "I don't expect you to say yes. Not the kind of love I'm talking about. It's one thing to love someone- say, your parents for instance- and lose them, and words cannot express how much I sympathize with you for that. But it's another thing to watch a person you care for wane away day by day yet be unable to help them. I didn't want to watch her dye slowly. So I decided to cure her"_

 _"And my father was the one who you went to?"_

 _"Your father was one of the only people who could help. Rather, he was the only person in all of San Francisco who could have helped me find a cure. And he did. I'll admit, it was selfish of me; but he told me of the risks, and I asked him to help nonetheless. He had a choice to turn his back on me; he didn't. The people who were responsible for your father's death are also the people who put my...friend...in the state she is now, that is, dying. The man at the helm also happens to be my father."_

 _Neji's expression was one of surprise and anger- thankfully that anger was not directed at Itachi. Itachi gave him a moment to calm himself before going on to say, "Understand that this information can never leave this conversation. Doing that would be useless- seeing as my father is practically untouchable by the law as he is now, and knowing this could put your life in danger. I understand that you are angry, and hurt, and you have every right to be; I am too. But acting rashly will do nothing for you now. Do not dishonour your father's death by threatening the existence of his only son."_

 _Neji was quiet for a long time. A waitress came and served them each their orders, but Neji left his untouched._

 _Picking up his tea, and taking a small sip, Itachi looked at Neji over the rim of the ceramic cup, his brows furrowed._

 _"Well, this is a mess your family made. What will you do about it?" Neji asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them._

 _"I will put an end to this. It will take time- and I am helpless for now as long as these people hold my mother captive- but I will put an end to this. Can I ask you have that faith in me?" Itachi asked, though he knew the answer would be negative._

 _"Have faith in a boy who I've just met and barely know? I don't think so." he said sarcastically._

 _"No. Have faith in a boy who your father trusted." was Itachi's_

 _Neji's opalescent eyes bore into him for several stretched out moments, before he nodded. "I trust you. But I want to help."_

 _Itachi nodded in acknowledgement of his request, taking another sip of tea, before letting the conversation drift to more mundane topics._

 _Long after they had left that cafe, before Itachi delivered Neji to the Hyuga mansion, the other boy asked about Cynthia._

 _"Who is she?" He wanted to know more about the girl who his father had died trying to cure._

 _Itachi wasn't too keen on describing her, but he indulged his companion for the moment. "Most of my opinion will probably be biased, but I can try nonetheless. Her name is Cynthia."_

 _"She's your age?"_

 _"A little younger, but yes. She's ...different. Years of captivity make her appreciate what little contact she has with the world outside- be it people, or nature. She doesn't talk alot, but when she does, she always knows what to say. She's fiercely loyal and caring to those she loves."  
_

 _Itachi watched the other boy hide a smirk, and protested against it only for Neji to reply with a small chuckle. "You really care for her alot don't you."_

 _"I wouldn't have risked so much for her if I didn't. When you find someone you care about just as much, you'll understand."_

 _"We'll see."_

 _After a small lull in conversation, Itachi added, "She has a sister. She talks about her alot. She's about your age I suppose. One of the only reasons Cynthia's held on for so many years in that place is with the hope of seeing her sister again. They're the only family each other still has."_

 _"Do you have a picture of her?" Neji asked, as though struck by a sudden thought._

 _A little startled by the question, and wary of it's repercussions, Itachi brought out his wallet, taking a small folded picture out of it, and handing it to Neji. "That was her four months ago."_

 _Almost as soon as he saw the picture, Neji's grip faltered and it slipped out of his hands._

 _Itachi stooped down to catch it before looking at Neji with concern."Is there something wrong?"  
_

 _"What did you say her sister's name was again?"_

 _"I didn't. It's Arisa, I think."_

 _Neji turned to Itachi saying, "I know her- I know where she is."_

* * *

 _It was late evening when Itachi finally found Cynthia sitting in her room, huddled up on the bed, reading a book he had brought her not long ago. As soon as he walked into the room, she set the book aside and stood up._

 _Her long, frail arms wrapped him into a hug as she saw the conflicted expression on his face. "Is everything okay, Itachi?" she asked.  
_

 _It was as though her hands had washed away all the stony facades and walls he had built around him throughout the day. All the grief, the pain, the anger, the guilt, the hope, everything came out in floods as he crumbled in her arms. Of course everything would be okay- he was back with her again. Where he belonged. And with that he let himself wallow in his grief and guilt for what could have been hours, minutes, or even mere seconds. Her arms shielded him from anything else that mattered._

 _At long length, he straightened up, and looked her in the eyes. "Hisashi is dead. My father had him killed."_

 _The look of shock and pain on her face hurt him, as he saw her hands clasp over her mouth._

 _"I went to his house- and found this." he said taking out the box from before, containing the serums. He led her to the bed so they could sit down. "Apparently, it's a cure. It could work but... there's only a 40% chance of you surviving."  
_

 _She looked like she was about to speak, when he stopped her._

 _"Lastly, I met his son, Neji. We talked about a number of things- he's as smart as I am, really, and I think we've found a good friend but the important thing is...he knows where your sister is."_

 _That was when the dam broke and her questions came flooding out. "What?! Where? How is she? Is she alright? Where is she? How did you find out?" her questions petered out of their own accord. Perhaps she had let her worry and emotions overtake her for a moment, but Cynthia was not impractical._

 _She took one long look at him and wrapped her arms around him again, their lips meeting for a short kiss before she said, "We can talk about all of that later. Don't worry, Itachi. Everything's going to be okay." she said in a quiet whisper, as she pulled his head into her lap. "We're safe now. Rest a while now."  
_

 _His hand reached up to grab her arm- the one that was not smoothing the hair away from his face- and his fingers locking with hers as he asked of her a small request. "Please. Sing for me."  
_

 _She smiled, tenderly looking down at his tired face, bringing her fingers to his eyelids and closing them shut. She sang- sang the lullaby that had brought him to her for the first time. The lullaby that had changed her life._

 _And he fell asleep there, in her lap, in the halo of comfort and joy she gave him._

 _And for the last time for many years to come, he was safe._

* * *

 **Congratulations! You're still here.  
**

 **Well, since you are here, I owe you an apology for my lengthy absence.I have now returned (hopefully for good).  
**

 **So this chapter marks the temporary end of this mini arc- with the threat of something more ominous that I've yet to describe. I hope you guys enjoyed it!  
**

 **You know what would really make this return worthwhile? Some reviews. So take mercy on this poor soul and leave a comment in that box underneath telling my how much you liked or hated this chapter!**

 **~Raven**


	39. Memories

**Hello  
**

 **So I decided to speed up the Sasusaku a bit, so I better get some reviews for it! Hope you like it- it may be a few weeks before I can get another chapter out.**

 **And thank's to LadyMartel4000 for that review! Let's see if this is more fiery than chilling this time XD**

 **Enjoy**

 **~Raven**

* * *

 _"But it should have been red!"_

 _"What are you talking about? It should have been blue!"_

 _"But red looks so much better!"_

 _"But blue is for boys! Red looks like pink!"_

 _"What's wrong with pink? Red would have been fine!"_

 _"But blue is better."_

 _"Liar liar pants on fire red is waay better; it should have been red!"_

 _The two children bickered away incessantly- neither of them truly angry at each other; just wanting everything to be 'perfect' for their friend's birthday. Said birthday boy watched as his two best friends argued over the colour of the wrapping of his birthday present- though he was too overwelmed by the fact that he actually HAD a present to call his own to mind it's colour. Sasuke's mother, Mikoto stood behind the two, keeping an eye on the large birthday cake which sat on the table in front of them. Sai, and a few of the other kids who lived down in the laboratories, were busy talking or playing or watching Sakura and Sasuke as they argued; waiting for them to stop so that they could hurry up and cut the cake._

 _"What are you complaining about? At least its orange. That's more like red than blue. But nobody listens to MY suggestions! Hmph!" The dark haired boy crossed his arms in annoyance, a scowl on his face._

 _"Well if you're going to be so upset about it then FINE! YOU give it to him!" She thrust the box into Sasuke's hands with a little more force than necessary, which had him stumbling back into his mother's legs, and then crashing forwards into the table in front of them, landing face first in the translucent orange mound of jelly which sat next to the birthday cake._

 _The crowd of children surrounding the table errupted in a roar of laughter._

 _Sakura froze, instantly rushing to help him, as did his mother. Naruto stood up, unable to contain his laughter as he watched his best friend pull his head away from the plate, his face covered in chunks of orange jelly, still grumbling._

 _"I'm so s-sorry!" Sakura said, apologising again and again, trying her hardest to supress her laughter. Mikoto chuckled lightly, bringing a towel and brushing some of the jelly off her son's face._

 _Eventually, Sasuke stopped grumbling, accepting Sakura's apology and handing the present they had bought him over to Naruto._

 _Mikoto had coaxed them all into singing a slightly out of tune chorus of 'Happy Birthday' before watching the blonde haired boy blow out his candles, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he made his birthday wish, Sasuke, with chunks of jelly still in his hair, smirking as he stood to his right, and Sakura, smiling brightly to as she stood to his left as they posed for a picture._

 _It had been Naruto's best birthday in his eight short years alive._

* * *

25th April, 2032, Residence of Kakashi Hatake, Financial District, San Francisco. Time- 19:04

Naruto stared down at the photograph in his hands, frozen in shock.

Finding the picture as he sifted through Sasuke's mother's old possessions, it had been as though a damn broke inside his mind. Memories came flooding back to him. Memories he should never have forgotten in the first place- leaving him confused, surprised and in shock.

Memories of the dark haired boy who found him one day inside a small dark room in the basement layer. Memories of the pink haired girl they had found in another one of the testing rooms, as they explored the place behind the scientists' backs. Memories he had forgotten he had of Sasuke. Memories that he never knew existed of Sakura. Memories of them.

Naruto had never given too much thought to how exactly he met Sasuke- it seemed like Sasuke had always been around him, for as long as he could remember.

But here there were fresh memories- memories of promises, of bonds, and friends he never even thought he had.

It shocked him to the bone.

He had known Sakura? She had been there with him when he used to be a victim to Sasuke's father's experiments? She had been one of the test subjects? And he had been friends with her? As close as family?

 _How could he have forgotten someone so important to him?_

When Naruto left the Uchiha Corporation that evening, something about his conversation with Gaara had seemed out of place. Some part of those facts didn't sit well with him. Maybe it had been the strong need he felt to protect Sakura, or the vague familiarity he felt when he heard his story, something about it felt _off_ at the time.

Now it all made sense.

He, Sakura and Sasuke had been as close as humanely possible back then. Then Mikoto had taken Sakura away, and Sasuke and his brother were thrown into those laboratories, after Sasuke's father took Mikoto away. In the midst of that, Naruto had spent the first few horrible months all alone again. And when he found Sasuke, at the mercy of those scientists, he was completely changed. Still the same Sasuke, but changed as well. Before Sasuke was let out of the laboratories, Naruto had been all he had. If it weren't for each other, they might not have survived.

But that didn't explain how he had completely forgotten about Sakura? Wasn't it betrayal on his part, to have completely forgotten about a girl who had been closer than a sister to him?

He had heard in part from Hinata, and partly from Gaara, that Sakura had gone through something akin to hell in the time she spent after Gaara was taken away by the Uchiha Corporation until the time the Hyuga family found her and took her in. Naruto hadn't been in the laboratories for all that time- After Sasuke's father died, he had been let out. Sasuke had made sure that happened. Couldn't they have found her then? And helped her?

And how could Sasuke have forgotten about her? Come to think of it, Sasuke remembered almost nothing that happened before he went into the laboratories. All he had was his hate towards his father, and his need to free his mother. Maybe something in the experimentation had taken away his memories?

But Naruto? How had Naruto forgotten? How could he let himself forget his only salvation in the hellhole of those laboratories?

 _'Sometimes, when a memory becomes too painful, the mind chooses to forget it. It could even be an entire series of memories. You don't forget them because they're not important- you forget them because they're too important to you. Once forgotten, it's nearly impossible to get all of those memories back.'_

Those lines- words from almost fifteen years ago came floating back to him. Who had spoken them again? Oh yes. Itachi, Sasuke's elder brother. That man always had some wise anecdote to add to every situation.

But was it true? Had losing Sakura and Sasuke in rapid sucession and being thrown more vigorously back into the experiments, been too much of an emotional toll for him? Had he _willingly_ chosen to forget Sakura? Would he have done the same for Sasuke had he not found his best friend again? Would he ever have remembered Sakura if he hadn't taken himself to Sasuke's Uncle Kakashi's house, to look through Mikoto's old belongings on a whim that somehing 'seemed off' in the conversation he had had with Gaara?

He felt his stomach churn with an unwelcome feeling. Guilt.

And along with it, he set his resolve stronger. He would not let Sasuke take Sakura away and have her put in the experimentation. If need be , he would pound Sasuke's skull into the cement till he remembered Sakura and everything she used to mean to the two of them. He would _force_ Sasuke to remember Sakura- and then save her.

And no God alive could protect anyone who dared try stand in his way.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 19:34

"Is that it then? A dead end?" Hinata's soft voice broke the silence that hung around the room as they stared at the large screen that hung from the wall on the far end of the conference room.

It was a room that their team had set aside for the dire situations where work needed to be taken out of office and brought home until the case was closed- a room made much to their mother's chagrin and father's approval.

Shikamaru sat at the computer that connected to the screen. Sakura, Neji, Ino, Arisa, Kiba and herself sat around the table, staring at the information they had spent the last three hours compiling, scrutinising. Everything they knew about the current case was now stored on the presentation in front of them- and yet they were at a standstill.

They couldn't use the information obtained from Kabuto's interrogation, since they didn't have a warrant for it. They knew who their target was, thanks to Jiraya. But they had no evidence to put together an arrest warrant.

They had even combed through what little information they had on Ms Fue, looking for a lead that connected her to Orochimaru or Kabuto. But they had found nothing. Her records were near nonexistent.

"The trail's gone dry. We need a new lead." Ino commented, in reply to Hinata's question.

Kiba laughed, though there was no humor to his actions. "A new lead? You can't get what doesn't exist."

Hinata swatted his arm, chiding him. "Don't say that. We only have a week to finish this."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a dead end." Neji interrupted, causing Kiba to bite back whatever retort he had to offer.

"How isn't it? We can't exactly go back in asking for a warrant based on speculation and an unwarranted interrogation." Ino said.

Shikamaru's lazy drawl finished Neji's stream of thought. "We'll have to go back to the orphanages. Single out the ones with most disappearances. Start from there."

"That could take ages. If we had more time, maybe yes, we could start with the orphanages. Right now, the most we can do is go back to Kabuto or maybe Tayuya." Sakura said, finally speaking.

They were interrupted at that point by two things- the first being the Hyuga mother walking into their room, demanding they all came outside and eat something. The second was the sound of a phone buzzing, which was sourced to belong to Arisa.

As Kiba dragged a reluctant Neji and a lazy Shikamaru outside in search of food, the girls slowly got up, waiting for Arisa, who took the call on loudspeaker.

"What do you want, Deidara?" she asked, already knowing who the caller was.

"Erm, I don't suppose you know where Itachi is? We've all been looking for him all afternoon." Something about his tone seemed incredibly agitated- even Hinata, who didn't know him too well personally, could tell.

"No, I haven't. Why, what's wrong?" Arisa replied, frowning.

"Erm...Yeah! Sasori's landed himself in quite a pinch. He doesn't want to do anything about it until he speaks to Itachi."

Suspiciously, Arisa asked, "What kind of 'pinch'?"

"Umm... suspected child abuse?" the wince was audible in his voice.

"What?!" Arisa's voice was a mixture of disbelief, shock, and surprise.

"He says he was doing a bit of babysitting for his new girl..."

"Where are you now? Where is he?" she bit out, standing up, her expression neutral, her voice unsettled.

"Me? I'm at the Children's hospital. He's at the police station. He didn't do anything- help him out of this please? Or at least find out where Itachi is?" he pleaded.

She sighed, saying, "I'll see what I can do. What did you say his 'new girl's' name was, again?"

"I don't remember...Tayuya something Flu, or Foo. I'm not sure."

That caught all of their attention. The four of them were quiet for a long drawn out pause, before Arisa said, "Okay." and hung up.

"What the heck? Child abuse?" Ino was the first to react.

"It's connected, isn't it?" Hinata added.

Sakura nodded, biting her lip as she said, "Funny how we just found the lead we were looking for. We should go down to the hospital- or the police station. Arisa? What do you think?"

"I'll go down to the Police Station now- I _know_ Sasori wouldn't have done something so severe. Sakura's right, someone should go to the hospital- see what happened. And someone should tell the others." she added, pointing her head in the direction of the door the boys had just went out through.

"I'll go to the hospital. Find out what's going on there. Arisa, you're suspended for now. At least take Shikamaru with you incase they look for some official credentials." Ino said.

"I can go with her." Sakura interrupted.

"Sakura. You've been working all day- and all of last night too. At least get a little rest." Ino deadpanned.

"But-" Sakura started.

Ino's 'no nonsense' glare stopped any further argument. "And you stay at home too, Hinata. Take Yuki off our mother's hands for a while."

The poor child had been locked out of the conference room all afternoon.

Nodding, Hinata led Sakura out of the room, watching Ino, Arisa and Shikamaru quickly leave.

Standing in the kitchen, Sakura filled Neji and Kiba in on what had just happened, while Hinata noticed a small head of dark hair peeking out from behind the counter.

Moving closer, Hinata moved closer, calling out to the child. "Yuki? You can come out, you know. We're not working anymore."

Sakura finished her explanation and stopped to look at Hinata, following the direction of her gaze to find Yuki. Her worried frown morphed into a warm smile as she walked over to where Yuki was, crouching down and talking quietly to the girl, before taking her by the hand and leading her over to where Kiba, Neji and Hinata stood.

Yuki had quite comfortably settled into living at the Hyuga house- though a little shy, she was getting along well with the others. After Hinata had talked her through the trauma that whatever experimentation she went through left her with, she had grown fond of all of the adults in the house. She would even be starting school along with the new semester, and until then their mother was helping her catch up with things she had missed out on.

"Hey Yuki! D'you want to come with me and Neji later to walk my dogs?" Kiba asked after Sakura lifted her onto one of the kitchen stools.

"When did I agree to that?" Neji asked, annoyed.

"Nonsense! If she wants to go out, you'll come too! You do want that, don't you, Yuki?" Kiba said, enjoying how Neji had his hands tied unless he wanted to hurt the kid.

Hesitantly, Yuki nodded, to which Kiba grinned triumphantly at Neji.

"Stop teasing," Sakura said, punching him lightly on the shoulder as she set down the glass of water she had been drinking, "If Yuki wants to go out, that's fine but first-" she was interrupted by their mother, who walked into the kitchen just then.

Haruka Hyuga was a commanding woman, elegant and graceful even in her old age. Time had been kind to her- she was still as breathtaking as the day she was married, albeit a bit more matured. She had an air of poised grace about her as she walked through the room- and could be more than imposing when she needed to.

"Sakura, there are two gentlemen at the door wanting to speak to you- Do go and see who they are; they look like they may start a brawl on our front porch if left alone for too long."

Surprised, Sakura turned towards her, asking, "Did they leave a name?"

"No, I don't think they did. But I remember seeing them both at Tenten's party the other day."

Now who could that be? Hinata wondered as she took Sakura by the arm and led her out of there, saying, "Let's not keep them waiting.", a curious Yuki trailing behind.

As they drew closer to the front door, they heard slightly raised voices arguing accusatorily.

"At least _I_ have a reason to be here. What do you think you're doing, Idiot?"

"I'm allowed to meet my friends if I want. Besides, any reason you might have is nothing you couldn't have had done by someone else."

Sakura, Hinata and Yuki walked out onto the front porch to find a disgruntled Sasuke Uchiha glaring at an equally annoyed Naruto Uzumaki, Choji standing behind the two of them looking at them amusedly, while snacking on a packet of crisps.

"Hi!" Naruto said, grinning warmly as he saw them come out, noticing a shy Yuki hiding behind the two women, and waving kindly at her as well.

"What's going on here?" Sakura asked, hand on hip.

"Is there a reason the two of you are here?" Hinata asked, looking at the two more closely.

"Just decided to drop in and say hi- none of you are busy, are you?" Naruto asked.

"No... we're not." Sakura said, still looking at the two men with mild surprise.

"And you, Sasuke? What brings you here?" Hinata asked.

"I'd like a private word with Sakura, if that's not too much trouble." He said, his words polite, but expression neutral, eyes boring into Sakura.

Sakura nodded, saying, "I'll be right back." to Hinata as she slipped on a pair of shoes that sat near the doorway, walking out of the house and guiding Sasuke away from the porch, down to the driveway where they could talk without interruption.

Naruto's eyes followed the two of them as they walked away, a flicker of worry in them, before he turned around to look at Hinata again, an awkward silence settling between them as they both struggled to find words to say.

Hinata found her heart pounding slightly as she looked at him. She had been in complete command of her emotions the entire day; so why was it, that when she saw _him_ she automatically found herself becoming more nervous by the second? More self conscious? She was probably a mess by then- bags under her eyes, hair askew, looking more zombie than human from the lack of sleep. He would think so too, she fretted.

Naruto had intended to go to the Hyuga mansion to talk to Sakura- try to find out why she didn't remember anything about how they used to know each other. But when he saw Hinata at the door, looking tired and exhausted, and stunning all the same, he found himself getting more and more distracted. She looked like she hadn't slept in days- and had been overworked. He found himself worrying about it, admiring how she worked for the FBI so relentlessly, putting her personal health aside for the sake of whatever case she was working on at the moment. Despite her messy hair, and dark circles under her tired eyes, she had never looked more beautiful to him- he was definitely growing more and more attracted to her the more he saw her, and that was saying something considering he was already quite attracted to her when they first met.

"Do you want to come inside?" Hinata asked after a few, drawn out moments of silence in which she finally collected her thoughts.

"Sure," Naruto said, taking off his shoes as he walked inside, crouching down to greet Yuki.

"Hey there!" he said, holding out his hand for the child to shake.

A small, pale hand hesitantly reached out to grasp Naruto's large fingers.

"How are you? You'll be starting school soon, won't you? How's that feeling, are you excited?"

Hesitantly, she nodded, quietly saying, "I'll start in August."

Hinata smiled warmly as they talked, thinking about how naturally he got along with children. It was endearing to see how he could earn Yuki's trust so quickly.

"There's lots of cool amusement parks around the city at this time of year. Were you thinking of taking her to any of those?" Hinata heard him say, this time talking to her, not to Yuki.

"There are?" she asked, surprised. Work and their current case had kept her too occupied to keep track of such things.

"Yeah! They're lots of fun I'm sure she'd love them. You've never been to an amusement park before, have you, Yuki?" he said, asking the girl, who hesitantly shook her head.

"See! I'm sure she'd love it. In fact, there's one opening this Sunday even." Naruto said.

A sudden _bold_ thought crossed Hinata's mind as she thought of taking Yuki to an amusement park. Bolstering up the courage, before her nerves stopped her, she asked, "Well... How would _you_ like to join the two of us this Sunday? To take her round the amusement park?"

Naruto's eyes widened with surprise, as he grinned again and leaned closer to her, asking, " _Me_? I mean, are you sure you want me with you, spoiling your fun?"

"Trust me, if anything it would be more enjoyable with you there as well. The more the merrier, right?" she said, something of a playful smile curling her lips.

"In that case, I'd love to come." He replied, looking down at Yuki again, "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Yuki?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling as she spoke enthusiastically, "I'd love it! And- and, can Sakura come too? With her boyfriend?"

Hinata frowned slightly at that last part, "Boyfriend?" she asked.

"You know, the one she just went to talk to!" Yuki replied.

Unable to contain her laughter, Hinata giggled, noticing Naruto's equally amused expression, as she said, "Sasuke's not her boyfriend, silly. At least not yet."

"But he will be, won't he?" Yuki asked, pouting adorably.

Hinata laughed, saying, "Why don't you ask her that?"

"...but can they come too?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't think Sakura's busy. I'm sure I can get her to come." Hinata said, looking at Naruto.

"Yeah! I'll drag Sasuke along even if he doesn't want to come- but I'm sure he will. It's settled! We'll take Yuki to the amusement park this Sunday." He said.

"It's a date then." She said, smiling.

"A double date." He added, as they walked inside.

* * *

"Why are you here, Sasuke?" Sakura asked him, as soon as they were far enough away from the front door that Naruto and Hinata couldn't see the two of them.

Looking down at her, taking a step closer to the point that if he had been any closer, she'd have been pressed flush against his chest, he spoke in a low, husky rumble, "Do I need a reason?"

She couldn't help the slow blush that rose to her cheeks as he spoke- something about his words were far more _seductive_ than she ever recalled him sounding.

"W-well it's not like you'd randomly choose to show up on my doorstep." She said sarcastically, this time stepping backwards and letting her lips curl into an enticing smirk. Her back pressed against the limestone wall of the outer mansion, and he stepped closer once again, this time leaning against his arm, which reached out to touch the wall next to her head, trapping her on one side.

"I'd hardly say that's true." He said, leaning closer to her.

She bit her lip, and watched his gaze drop to look at them. Was he aroused? Or was he trying to seduce her? If he was, it wasn't working.

Or maybe it was, actually. It didn't help that he was _so damn attractive_ , she thought as she looked straight ahead, at the pale skin of his neck.

"I'd like to apologise." He said suddenly, distracting her rapidly escalating thoughts.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"Though I had my reasons, it was clear that you didn't take kindly to the fact that I'd lied to you about my identity. I was hoping we could put that behind us- after all, we were getting on pretty well before that, weren't we?" he said, smirking.

Put simply, she was impressed. She had expected his pride and arrogance wouldn't let him do something like that, yet there he was, apologising to her. Sakura was never one to hold grudges in the first place.

Slowly nodding, she asked a question that had been playing on her mind since she'd found out about him. "How much of it was true? That night in Ichido's?"

He understood what she was talking about, and replied honestly. "The only thing I said then that wasn't true was that I had no family left. I have an elder brother. And an estranged uncle. And my mother's still alive but...it's complicated."

So what she thought she'd gotten to know about his personality hadn't been a complete farce.

She looked up at him, this time being distracted by his eyelashes. In this close proximity, they really were beautiful. Enough to make even some girls jealous.

Why was she resisting him so much, again?

Her eyes dropped to his lips- they weren't overly big, or too paper thin. They were pretty; she decided. They suited him. She found herself remembering how warm they had felt when he had kissed her before. Soft, but firm. Demanding, but gentle.

His other hand reached out to touch a lock of her hair, gently tucking it behind her ear, all the time his eyes never leaving her face.

His hand moved from her ear, tracing her jaw line as he touched her chin, tilting her head upwards so that she stared into those dark, obsidian pools that were his eyes.

She found herself leaning into him of her own accord, her hands pressing against his chest, feeling his muscles ripple under his shirt as the hand which rested on the wall moved down to touch her shoulder, trailing over her back until it wrapped possessively around her waist. As though he owned it. And yet, she found that she didn't mind.

The smouldering look in his eyes sparked a fire in her, as she took in his irresistibly masculine scent.

As he leaned down, and she thought that he was finally going to lower his lips to hers, a trail of hot fire ignited; starting from the expanse of her collarbone that was exposed by the top she wore, inching tantalisingly up her chin, as he pressed slow, gentle kisses along her skin.

He moved to her jaw, his hand slipping behind her to cup her head, as his lips moved along the edge of her face. A quiet moan escaped her in response to his ministrations.

Her hands moved up to clasp her fingers behind his neck, pulling him closer, the sound of his ragged breath near her ear further arousing her.

Her fingers laced into his inky black hair, as she revelled in how soft and silky it felt between her fingers.

Sasuke tilted her face upwards, biting her lip as she gasped, giving him better access to the cavern of her mouth. As their tongues intertwined, she felt a fire stoking within her, as she tugged at his hair, eliciting a low groan from him, demanding _more_ as he kissed her with more intensity.

Her body was pressed flush against his, and she could feel his every movement as she dissolved in the pleasure that his lips brought her.

When they finally drew away for air, both were flushed and panting.

His head moved, till his breath was tickling her ear, as he asked, "You're still coming with me to that dinner tomorrow night, aren't you?"

Still short of breath, a part of her slightly displeased that his lips were no longer ravishing hers, she nodded.

He drew away, walking towards his car, which was parked in the driveway. A chauffeur walked out of the car, opening up its rear compartment for Sasuke, handing him a package from inside.

Sasuke walked up to her again, and handed her the gift bag. Leaning closer once again, he spoke into her ear, "Wear it then. It'll look good on you. Think of it as a present. From me."

With that, he pressed his lips to hers in a shorter, chaste kiss, before walking away.

Sakura stood, the bag he had just given her held by her side, in her left hand, watching the car pull out of her driveway, her lips swollen and hair dishevelled as she wondered.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

 **¬Don't forget to review.**


	40. Stuffed Animals

**Hi. Been a while, hasn't it? Hope it was worth the wait.**

 **This chapter includes the plot significantly more, and has been split into two parts, so here's the first. Enjoy**

* * *

25th April, 2032, UCSF Benioff Children Hospital, 1975 4th Street, San Francisco, Time- 19:50

"Hello, I'm Ino Yamanaka, FBI, was wondering what you could tell me about a child brought in earlier this evening? Which of your doctors are on the case?"

The blonde, assertive and snarky in her words, was quick to pull out her badge and assert her position as soon as she reached the front desk of the hospital mentioned in Arisa's phone call from Deidara earlier on. Admittedly, she had spent the majority of the quick trip down to the hospital in worried apprehension of what she might find out about the child, and what its implications might mean for her 'on and off' lover and his partner, but now, as the hospital staff quickly directed and escorted her to the fourth floor, to a waiting lounge where two doctors were already there to bring her up to date on the details regarding the kid's admission to hospital, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction. A gut instinct, one may call it, that this would finally give her team the push they needed to close their case once and for all.

"Alright doctor, tell me everything." she said, meeting the man who'd been given charge of treating the child.

"Subaru Ryand, 8 years old, last documented hospital records date five years ago. He was brought in by his handler at 5.30 this evening- a particularly bad fever being the then stated reason. The fever was a result of infected sutures, an incomplete operation which our tests show involved artificial kidney removal."

"And that's a clear sign of abuse?"

"In this case, having no medical records of a child who was reported missing five years ago, yes. Plus, multiple bruisings, lacerations, signs of malnutrition- we had valid reason to report the person bringing them in."

"So you're suspecting child kidnapping? As well as abuse?"

"We don't suspect anything. That's for you officers to decide."

"What about the child now? Is he conscious?"

"Conscious but not up for any visitations. He's in a critical state."

"I see. Thank you for your time, doctor." she finished, watching as the doctor turned to leave, before being distracted elsewhere by the shout of her name.

"Ino! Thank goodness you're here!" the obnoxious voice of the long haired blonde turned her head in his direction as he walked up to where she stood.

"Deidara. Have you been here the entire time?"

Stopping a few feet in front of her, he replied, "Nah, Sasori called me just before they took him to the station. Said he didn't want to leave the kid alone at hospital- not that they'd let me see him."

"And he's detained now?"

"Yeah, but I've been sitting here alone bored out of my mind I'm so glad there's someone else finally! Can I go now?" He whined, looking utterly disinterested.

"No. Arisa and Shikamaru are going down to the police station now. They might need us to do more digging." Seeing the annoyed pout on his face, she added, "But I'll stay with you. Can't be that boring, can it?"

* * *

Ending the call, Shikamaru looked across at Arisa sitting in the driver's seat of his car as they made their way to the police department closest the Children's Hospital Ino had made her way to.

"That was Ino." he drawled, quickly relaying what their blonde teammate had told him about the child's condition.

"So they're accusing Sasori of kidnapping? That's insane!" She commented, as soon as he had finished, scowling as she drove.

"It's obviously connected- to Tayuya and Orochimaru and our raid last night."

"But Sasori's got nothing to do with it. He's just been in the wrong place at the wrong time." she defended.

Pulling up the accused's files on the laptop in front of him, Shikamaru stared blankly at the screen in shock before turning to face Arisa.

"You do know who Sasori is, right?" he asked.

"...Yes."

"Know what he's done?" he asked again, half in disbelief.

"...Yes..." slightly hesitant of what was to come.

"Accusations of taxidermy, kidnapping and killing domestic animals, stuffing dogs and handing them back to owners? The sort of stuff which blacklists you in police records?" he read off the charges on the file in front of him.

"...Yeah- that was just _once_. And it wasn't even Sasori who did the killing! Hidan did it- Sasori just stuffed the lady's obnoxious dog and sent it back to her doorstep." she said, wincing slightly at the memory of said incident.

"And asked for the reward offered for bringing it back." he deadpanned.

"So what if he's got some anger management issues, he didn't hurt this kid." she defended.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, though already acknowledging he trusted her judgement in this.

"He didn't." she said, with a finality which begged for the topic to be closed.

Staying quiet for several minutes, hiding the smirk on his face, he started again, "So you're saying its okay to kill and stuff animals?"

Sighing in annoyance, she humoured him with a reply, "That's what they do in the museums. Besides, he's gotten over it. So's the owner, too. I think."

Raising a quizzical eyebrow, but letting the topic drop, he brought a hand to his forehead as he said, "Lets see what we can do to get your friend out of this mess then. And get some leads on our investigation too."

Shikamaru was a genius, admittedly. But most of the people at the Hyuga mansion rivaled his intelligence- at the very least, they could hold their own in a game of chess against him. That's why he appreciated the comfortable dynamics he shared with each of them- but it did spoil his fun from time to time.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 19:53

"What on earth was that?"

Sakura looked across her room, having just set down the package Sasuke had handed her earlier next to her bed, to find Neji's lanky figure leaning against the frame of her open doorway.

"What was what?" she asked, turning away from the bed and walking to lean on the windowsill as she faced him.

Pointing to the bag she'd placed on the floor, before gesturing towards the window from where one had a clear view of the driveway she'd been standing in minutes ago, he said, "That."

"Believe me, I'm asking myself the same thing..." he caught her muttering under her breath, before she looked up at him again suddenly, seemingly scandalised as she said, "Wait... _you saw that_?!"

"Hard not to from the kitchen window." he replied dryly.

An embarrassed flush crept up onto her face as she looked quickly away from her adopted brother standing in the doorway of her room.

"As an FBI agent," he began, drawing her attention again, "You are perfectly entitled to seduce your targets to extract whatever information you think relevant to our case- however" he went on, adding the last part to refute her open expression of protest, "You might want to make sure its _you_ who's doing the seducing, not the other way around."

A sharp, angry edge to her voice as she spoke, she retorted, "As an agent _off duty_ , I'm _perfectly entitled_ to date _whoever I want_ in my free time- might I add, without _overprotective brothers_ sticking their nose where it _clearly doesn't belong_ , thank you very much." His comment on seduction had clearly ruffled her feathers the wrong way, if her steadily rising waspish tone was anything to go by.

"No need to be so prickly. This 'overprotective brother' is trying to keep you away from a man who may as well be the criminal we crack down on at the end of this investigation." He replied, this time his own voice rising several notches above normal as he walked into the room.

"I thought we decided he's no longer a suspect!" she cried.

"I wouldn't trust that man as far as I could throw him, and you shouldn't either." He said, finding himself growing steadily angrier.

Opening her mouth to speak again, Sakura was interrupted by a third person, who spoke from the now vacant doorway.

"What's going on in here?"

The twin brown buns and red quipao blouse characteristic of Tenten announced her presence as soon as she spoke, she quickly walked into the room.

"Arguing about something?" she pressed, her curious nature unrelenting.

Looking at Neji, who seemed in no hurry to answer the question posed, Sakura said, "No. We're not arguing- Neji was just about to leave."

Scowling at Sakura, he said, "This conversation isn't over.", before turning to leave the room.

Once he was out of earshot, Tenten raised an eyebrow, saying, "Care to tell me what that was all about? Or why there wasn't just one, but _two_ drop dead _gorgeous_ guys outside our doorway earlier on today, both looking for _you_?"

Sighing as she sat down on her bed, she said, "I'm exhausted. Can we do this tomorrow? Lunch outside somewhere, maybe?"

Her curious gaze softening as she saw her sister's exhausted face, dark circles under her eyes- a result of almost two days nonstop field work and drama, she said, "It's okay. Lunch tomorrow, sounds great. Get some rest, I'll make sure no-one else bothers you tonight."

* * *

25th April, 2032, San Francisco Police Department, 1251 3rd Street, San Francisco, Time- 19:50

"This doesn't look good, Sasori."

Arisa stood in front of the shiny metal grills which marked the prison cell they were holding Sasori in, the man in question sitting on the wooden bench inside. It had taken a flash of Shikamaru's badge and some sweet talking the officers on the investigation to get them permission to speak to Sasori, which was what Arisa was currently doing while Shikamaru further spoke to the officers outside.

"I know." he said, the fear not evident in his voice. But she knew he was afraid- after all, things weren't in his favour at all.

"What were you even doing with a girl like Tayuya? When did you even meet her?" She said, exasperated at the Akatsuki's ability to get themselves involved in the worst sort of situations.

"Where's Itachi?" he asked, completely avoiding her questions.

"Nobody knows. You can't just sit around waiting for him to show up- he likely won't be able to do anything in the first place. Tell me something."

Frustratingly, annoyingly, the redhead on the other side of the bars remained silent in reply.

"How do you expect to get out if you don't tell us anything?"

Seeing him still reluctant to say anything, fast becoming impatient, she asked, "You didn't actually...kidnap the kid did you? Or do all that shit with organ transplants? You hurt him?"

"God, no!" he said, finally protesting, "You really think I would?"

"I wouldn't be here if I did." she said wryly.

"I can't tell you anything, it's dangerous...none of us want you getting in harm's way." he said, reminding her once again of how much she grew annoyed of the Akatsuki's somewhat endearing insistence on mothering her.

Sighing exasperatedly, she said, "Look, I'm not the same kid you guys picked up back then. I don't need protecting, I'm the one helping you now. And I can't help you if you don't tell me anything. So am I going to get anything out of you?"

Looking up at her with reluctance, sleepy hazel eyes hesitant to give her any information without speaking to Itachi first, he finally relented, saying, "Tia Fitz. That's all I can give you."

"A name? That's all?!" she was borderline angry by then.

"A pseudonym. Tayuya Fue in person. Tia Fitz in records. Figure the rest out yourself."

A plan clicked into place in her mind as she understood the implication of what Sasori just said- an explanation for the seemingly nonexistent files they'd been looking for earlier that day, and also a way to shift accusation for this crime from Sasori to Tayuya, releasing him from custody.

Dialing up the familiar number of yet another of the Akatsuki, the silver haired, violet eyed Hidan picked up on the other end.

"The fuck do you want, Arisa?" his usual, pleasant greeting to any phone call he bothered picking up.

"Don't whine. I need you to find someone." Had it been anyone else, he'd have hung up by then.

"Maybe another fucking time. Try next week." he said dismissively.

"It's for Sasori. I'm giving you a name, just find them, okay?"

"Which fucking pansy do I have to chase after this time?"

"The name's Tayuya Fue. Redhead, has a foulmouth which rivals yours, dollmaker by profession. Shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

She heard him sigh audibly on the other end of the call, proof that he was agreeing to help her out this time. She knew he would, though. "How long do I fucking have?"

"An hour max."

"Fine. But you fucking owe me big time, got it?"

"Say that to Sasori. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to pay you back." she said.

"But where the fuck is Itachi? He's supposed to do this stuff, we don't want you running around putting yourself in trouble and overworking yourself even more doing work he should be sorting out." he said, actually cutting out the profanity from his statement- the closest you ever get to having his genuine concern.

"Believe me I'd tell you if I knew..." she said, inwardly wondering where her dark haired friend could possibly be.

Hanging up, she walked out of the holding cells to find Shikamaru and tell him about latest developments.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Mount Diablo, San Francisco, Time- 22:21

Something in the stars and the moonlit city that stretched in the valley before him reminded him uncannily of the look of bewilderment on her face that first day he'd brought her out to the mountain in the cover of the night. Perhaps it had been the sheer force of the memories he'd revisited in the past couple of hours, but as he knelt down in front of the gravestone he himself had dug there so many years ago in memory of her life, placing the bouquet of white carnations, which he'd bought from a gas station in a memory induced haze before reaching there, in front of the large stone with the name Cynthia Tsutsugami carved in the center, he found emotions he'd buried away years ago resurfacing afresh.

Back then, the same night he fell asleep foolishly, optimistically thinking that everything would be okay with Cynthia, Neji, Sasuke, and his mother, he'd woken up to find himself and his brother in the same abhorrent experimentation his father had forced on Cynthia so many years ago. Having the news of Cynthia's death delivered to him there, added to the fact that his brother was in the hands of those scientists and he could do nothing to stop it, was a crippling grief and guilt which haunted him for days.

Six months after coming out of that experimentation, he packed his bags and left the Uchiha Corporation, cutting all ties with it. Of course, with the exception of a promise to Sasuke to come back and help save their mother.

In the years that passed alot of the grief and guilt he'd associated with Cynthia's death had been buried and locked away, by both choice and circumstance. But that night, it all came flooding back. As fresh as the memory of her look of innocent amazement when she looked down at San Francisco from the top of Mount Diablo for the first time.

Sitting down cross legged next to the gravestone, he leaned against the cool stone surface, absentmindedly staring into the expanse of free ocean that lay beyond the city, pulling out his phone which he'd neglected to pay attention to the entire evening till then. He noted distractedly, that the phone battery was dead- likely had been for several hours . Either way, nothing important could have happened till then. Even if it had, he had no plans of returning to the city before midnight.

Putting the phone aside, he lost himself in his thoughts as he ran his fingers over the imprint of the name carved on the side of the gravestone he sat by.

They cloned her, he remembered. A thought greeted with both nostalgia and anger, he could bring himself to despise the scientists who'd cloned her as much as he wanted, but he couldn't think anything malevolent of the child. She was living with Neji and Arisa at the moment- perhaps they'd let him meet her...

* * *

 **Don't forget to review. Enjoyed it? Tell me what you think!**

 **~Raven**


	41. Dreams and Hopes

**Here's the second half of the chapter, hope you like it.**

* * *

25th April, 2032, San Francisco Police Department, 1251 3rd Street, San Francisco, Time- 22.41

Grumbling for what might have been the millionth time that night, Hidan pushed the obnoxious redhead who he'd spent the last two hours tracking down and abducting, into the dark alleyway where he'd been told to bring her.

"Didn't I say you had an hour?" Arisa said jokingly, as she came into his line of sight, sarcasm in her voice, though no annoyance evident in her expression.

"So I'm a little late. Sue me." He deadpanned, untying his captive.

"You didn't have to tie her up and gag her." She said, shaking her head in exasperation as she removed the gag from the redhead's mouth.

"Fuck off, Bitch! Untie me this fucking instant!" the woman in question shrieked, spitting at Arisa.

Her reflexes good enough to avoid being hit by flying spitballs, Arisa finished untying Tayuya, making sure Hidan blocked any escape route she could have attempted, grimacing at the choice of words used.

"Before you say any more, have a look at this." Arisa said, handing over a large file.

The redhead, caught off guard by the eerily chilly edge to her voice, gingerly took hold of the file, opening it, turning the pages to skim over the records and documents present inside, her expression quickly escalating from surprise, to shock, to anger, to outrage (evident in the amount of profane language she used) , and ultimately fear as she realized the true extent of how much potentially damaging information was stored in the file.

Quickly closing the file and hugging it to her, almost willing it to disappear, she shakily said, "Wh-what the fuck do you want, bitch?"

Her voice had lost it's confident edge.

Smirking, knowing she'd caught the redhead in a trap by then, Arisa spoke. "Remember me, Tayuya? I'm the one who knocked you out this morning. The one who you got suspended off the force. You can't have forgotten, ne?"

Her loud obnoxious tone dwindling to a scared echo of the question she'd asked before, she said, "What do you want?"

"Remember my teammate? The one with the 'fucking ridiculous pineapple hair'? Isn't that what you said about him?" Arisa pressed, anger at Danzo's behavior earlier that day resurfacing.

Her pupils narrowing into slits in her fear, Tayuya asked, "Why did you bring me here if you already have those files?"

"Shikamaru and I spent the last few hours combing through as many sources as we could to gather those records. Black market dealings, human trafficking records, the sort of stuff that could get you lifetime imprisonment. Surely we don't want that, do you? You know what happens to loud girls who talk too much in gaol?" She had the redhead cornered- scaring her further with her threats and icy disposition would only further her control over what was to come next.

"Wh-what do you want me to do?" she stammered.

"My friend, he's in there right now." Arisa started, nodding her head in the direction of the police station beyond the alley they stood in, "Accused of child kidnapping, child abuse. Maybe you know him? Considering you've been screwing him for the last few days? Does the name Sasori ring a bell?"

Too intimidated to speak, she nodded shakily in response.

"We both know he's not guilty of any of the things he's been accused of. But you are. _Go in there and turn yourself in._ And I'll make sure these files don't end up with those officers. For now." The intimidating, icy, commanding tone of her order was enough to send the redhead scrambling to her feet in a scared, nervous wreck, as she made a beeline out of the alleyway towards the police station, Hidan still in place to make sure she didn't make a run for it in the wrong direction.

Just as she was about to leave the alleyway, Arisa called out to her once again. "And Tayuya? Or maybe I should call you _Tia_?"

Hearing her name being called, she froze, flinching at the menacing edge to her voice as she turned to face the one who'd called her.

"Where are the rest of them? The children?" The playful lilt to her voice was all but gone as the memory of the kidnapped children brought to her face an expression of stony anger.

Sighing as she realized she was just as well signing her own death warrant by answering, yet too afraid to refuse her interrogator an answer, she took a shaky breath and replied, "They're in that fucking house- the one you bitches tore apart this morning- You fucking pricks just weren't looking in the fucking right places!"

* * *

25th April, 2032, UCSF Benioff Children Hospital, 1975 4th Street, San Francisco, Time- 22:57

"How am I supposed to believe that this – whatever it is – between us is ever going to amount to everything if I see you on the tabloids every other day with some new sleazy chick draped over your arms?!" Ino gestured dramatically between herself and her near identical masculine counterpart as she shouted angrily at him.

"As if you're one to talk- ' _who said we were exclusive'_ , well I thought 'dating you' meant that _I_ did!" Deidara retorted hotly, sarcastically quoting the lines she'd used with Sakura several nights earlier, at the bar.

"You were dating me? On what planet?!" she scoffed.

They'd been at loggerheads the entire evening in the near empty waiting lounge at the hospital, either obnoxiously arguing about each others' issues with fidelity, exchanging insults in what was supposedly an attempt to define their relationship, or ardently making out in the heat of the moment. Currently, they'd somehow managed to roll all three into one.

Just before it looked like they might start strangling each other, they were interrupted by Ino's phone, which they both quickly jumped to answer, upon seeing the caller's name: Shikamaru, hopefully with news from the police station.

Answering, Ino spoke, rapidly accelerating impatiently with each question, "Hello? Shikamaru? Any news? You're on loudspeaker by the way, there's an imbecile here too. What's the situation, you know it's really late right? How could you and Arisa leave me here all alone with nothing but _trash_ for company?!"

"God, Ino, do you have to talk so much?" Shikamaru drawlingly complained, going on to say, "Don't tell me you've blown up the hospital already…"

" _Sooo_ funny," she said dryly, "Answer the question why don't you, quit being lazy!"

"Tayuya confessed to kidnapping the child- Sasori's been released. Assuming Deidara is still with you, he's to come get Sasori and leave. As for us, we've found a lot more than expected. We have work to do, just hurry up and let's get out of here." The vexed sigh was audible in his voice as he hung up, leaving the two bickering blondes to make the quick trip from the hospital to the police department.

* * *

25th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 23:16

"We were looking for the wrong person. Any information we needed on Tayuya was all under a pseudonym- Tia Fitz." Shikamaru drawled as he walked into the kitchen of the Hyuga mansion, the island counter of which Tenten was currently sitting on, mug of coffee in her hands, Kiba leaning against the surface next to her, Neji sitting in a chair next to them, Choji leaning against a doorway as they watched Shikamaru, Ino and Arisa walk inside.

"The kid's one of those declared missing from one of the Sahara group's orphanages five years ago. And yeah, they bailed Sasori out of it for now so there's that too. Were you all waiting up for us? Where's Sakura? Hinata?" Ino added as she took a seat next to Tenten.

"They're both exhausted, let them rest." Tenten said, quietly, while the rest of the team took in the latest information.

"So we weren't at a dead end at all- just had the wrong name?" Choji asked, having been relieved of accompanying the Uchiha head by another operative overnight.

"And Tayuya's in custody now? We can interrogate her if needed?" Kiba added.

Nodding to both, Arisa added, "According to her, we were in the right place last night. The children were there- which makes no sense, considering we searched the area top to bottom. Should we go back and look again?"

"We tried that. It didn't work. If we're going in again, we ought to have a better plan." Was Neji's reply.

"First we look through the files we found on Tayuya's records. There's black market dealings, human trafficking records, all sorts of stuff. Pretty sure we can trace that to whomever it is we're looking for." Shikamaru asserted, before yawning widely and added, "However- I for one am far too exhausted for any more of this tonight. We can do this in the morning."

Turning around, he walked lazily out of the room, hands shoved in his pockets as he left.

"Well…" Tenten said, breaking the exasperated silence which then filled the room, "He gets points for unhelpfulness- but he does have a point. You guys are overworked. Get some rest." Hopping off the countertop she placed her empty coffee mug in the sink, before leaving the room.

"They're right. We can continue this tomorrow- in the meanwhile I'll read through the files you found." Neji said, placing his cup on the counter as the rest got up to leave, with half hearted reluctance to leave him downstairs all alone.

"Are you sure you want to do that alone? It's late, and that's a hell of a lot of reading to do…" Choji said, concern evident in his voice.

"I'll stay up and help- let's do this upstairs in my room." Arisa said, moving to stand behind Neji, a hand on his shoulder as the other held the file.

Frowning as though he were about to protest but ultimately deciding against it, he poured himself a second round of coffee.

* * *

"There's five years' worth of human trafficking records in here- this is insane." Arisa scowled, nearly two hours into their perusal of Tayuya's records, as they found themselves only barely touching the surface of what they were looking for.

"Lots of these aren't even from her transactions, they're just transactions related to that house in general. Is Tia Fitz specifically her name? Or a name for whoever takes charge of- whatever operations these are." Neji speculated, noting with concern the exhausted look in her eyes, though realizing it likely mirrored the one in his own.

"If it's a general name for whoever heads that house, then how long has this even been going on for? How long till we find familiar names in these countless kids- do we even want to find them in the first place? These files were clearly not meant to be found- if the amount of hacking Shikamaru had to do to get them says anything about it…"

He knew, though she didn't show it, that she was partly scared to find the answer. Neji himself had an increasingly accurate suspicion of what these records would show with due time… but it wasn't something which would do Arisa, or anyone else on the team for that matter, any good.

"You know what? Let's take a break. I'll get some water- unless you want something stronger, that is…" he said, knowing neither of them could keep up without break much longer at this rate.

Objecting initially, she started to say, "You don't need to-" before suddenly cutting off, distracted by light, clumsy footsteps in the hallway beyond, and a small shadow lurking by the doorway.

Both of them instantly alert, they stood up and made their way into the hallway, torch in hand, Neji's other hand feeling along the side of the hallway walls to find a light switch.

"Who's there?" Arisa asked, her voice tense.

The sound of footsteps behind them had Neji quickly whirling to train his torchlight behind him, a small head of dark hair and bright blue eyes coming into vision, startling him enough to lash out in defense before his thoughts caught up with his instincts enough for him to recognize the figure hidden in the shadows to be Yuki.

"Yuki! What are you doing up so late!" Arisa said, coming to that realization a second later as she dropped her torch to pull the child over to her, her rapid breaths coming back to a normal pace.

"You startled us." Neji added, finding himself relieved that their so called intruder had been nothing more than Yuki.

"Yeah…late night work puts us on edge I guess you could say? What's wrong? Why are you awake?" Arisa asked, leaning over to talk to her.

"I…I couldn't sleep. Had a nightmare…" she said, her voice a shy, quiet murmur.

Looking at the frail, shy, shivering child, Neji nodded at Arisa, who pulled Yuki into her arms, picking her up as he said, "Come inside, you can sleep here."

Laying Yuki down on the soft comforter which covered the bed they sat at, Arisa cradled her head, running her hands soothingly through her hair and tracing gentle patterns on her back, humming a soft lullaby to her with a gentle smile and closed eyes.

* * *

26th April, 2032, Residence of Sasuke Uchiha, San Francisco, Time- 00:14

 _The old wooden door with a dusty window pane was the last place he'd ever expected his mother to take him when she said they were going on a trip in town. But the run down shop with a broken old sign over the top, and a rusted bell that gratingly rang when she opened the door and led him inside, was in a sense far better than any large store with flashy light where she could have taken him._

 _Sasuke spent the entirety of that trip curiously looking past dusty bookshelves, trying to peek under white sheets which covered several object throughout the room without getting caught, or looking with utmost attention at the various trinkets scattered over display cases and tables, while the wooden floorboards creaked beneath his feet._

 _His mother had spent the entirety of the trip talking in hushed tones to the shopkeeper, and another woman inside who had presumably been waiting for her to arrive- but he never paid attention to the old lady who owned the antiques store, not until he found something which caught his attention._

 _In a display case, delicately nestled in a dark velvet cloth, between the toy-like body and beady eyes of a stuffed owl, and an old carved hunting knife, sat a small, silver wristlet. Not shiny silver, yet not tarnished beyond recognition, something about it gave it an air of beauty, innocence but antiquity which instantly drew his attention. But what called out to him most was the charm fastened to it- not startlingly big, but not insignificantly small, a silvery, five petaled cherry blossom, intricately designed, with a small pink quartz set in the central convergence of five petals._

 _And seeing it, the first thing he thought of was the girl with rose coloured hair who he waited eagerly to see every day when his mother took him down to the lower floors of father's office building. It would be a little big for her, but the clasp could be adjusted to fit her thin, frail wrists. And she'd smile like she did every time he gave her anything- the smile he liked seeing more than anything else._

 _Rushing over to where his mother stood, he quickly started tugging at her sleeve, trying to gain her attention, which when he finally did, used to lead her to the display cabinet where he'd found the bracelet._

 _"What is it, Sasuke?" she asked, never once loosing her patience as he tugged her away from her conversation._

 _Pointing to the bracelet in the cabinet, he said, "I want that!"_

 _Chuckling at his demand, she said, "You know as well as I do that I can't get you any knives now- who knows how you'll hurt yourself with it."_

 _"Not the knife, that!" he said pointing more closely toward the bracelet._

 _"I never knew you were interested in jewelry, Sasuke." she said, laughing more, though she'd already known exactly why he wanted it._

 _His face tinting red in embarrassment, Sasuke looked down, frowning as he muttered, "It's not for me."_

 _Taking a moment to smile tenderly down at her now pouting son, Mikoto said, "I'm sure she'll love it. It suits her perfectly."_

 _Taking the packaged box from the old shopkeeper's hands, he took a step away from the counter and found himself falling through the wooden floorboards as the world around him morphed confusedly into an open beach, with familiar black sand beneath his sandal covered feet, the small girl with pink hair and green eyes who he thought about so often standing in front of him._

 _Mother told him this might be the last time he saw her. He'd thrown a tantrum at the time, adamantly shouting about how he didn't want to stop seeing her. But once his mother sat down with him and explained why, he'd reluctantly agreed to say goodbye._

 _"You'll come visit, won't you, Sasuke? With Naruto? So we can sit and build sandcastles made out of black sand together?" she asked, innocent apple-green eyes looking into his._

 _"I don't know," he replied, not liking the forlorn disheartened look on her face._

 _"...So then this is goodbye?" she asked, trying not to let tears well up in the corners of her eyes.  
_

 _"I brought something for you. I hope you like it." he said, gingerly holding out the small box to her._

 _Hesitantly reaching out a hand to take it from him, she opened it slowly, trying to hide the surprised gasp of delight as she saw the bracelet inside, tears which she'd been trying not to shed leaving silvery trails down his face._

 _"It's really for me? It's beautiful..." she said, between sobs._

 _"So you can remember me when I'm not here." he said, wishing he could stop her from crying._

 _"I'll always remember." she said, smiling through her tears as she threw her arms around his neck in a final hug and promise._

Sasuke awoke with a jolt, sitting bolt upright as he realised he'd fallen asleep in his armchair waiting for his brother to arrive as previously promised.

Shaking his head as he brought his hands to rub his eyelids, before looking to check the time he realised it was past midnight, and Itachi likely wouldn't come.

Sighing, he leaned back again, letting his whirring thoughts catch up to his state of rest as he thought of the dream he'd just seen. A dream so like his many others. But a dream far more real than any of them had ever been.

A memory, possibly?

But that was ridiculous.

That being said, the charm bracelet was almost identical to the one he'd found in his office several days ago, which he'd traced to belong to the woman he knew as Sakura Haruno.

A coincidence? That was the only logical solution, afterall.

It must have been a coincidence. A figment of his subconscious. Nothing more...

* * *

26th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 00:19

Itachi didn't bother pulling his car into the open driveway of the Hyuga Mansion- choosing to take the longer walk from the main road, over the gravelly pathways that led to the rear entrance to the house.

He didn't bother ringing any doorbells either, instead choosing to send a short message to Neji announcing his arrival.

Sure enough, as he approached the wooden door dressed in white paint and frosted glass windows, the darkness beyond it was replaced by soft yellow lights, the shadow of Neji's tall lanky figure opening the door.

"Where have you been?" he asked quietly, half exasperated and half relieved.

"I...got lost?" Itachi tried, knowing fully well Neji wouldn't buy that excuse.

The brunette raised a quizzical eyebrow, showing he didn't believe him for a second.

Sighing, Itachi said, "I was on Mount Diablo...At her grave."

His stern expression softening, Neji stepped away from the doorway leaving room for Itachi to come inside, saying, "It seems that group you manage is incapable of functioning in your absence... on this occasion, though, Arisa managed it."

Chuckling surprisedly at the news, Itachi walked inside and said, "Yeah...my phone battery died somewhere on the way."

"Something tells me you're not just here to chat, why not go home and rest as soon as you got back?" Neji asked, locking the door shut once again.

"...Is Yuki inside?" he asked almost hesitantly, half afraid to see the child who'd been made a clone of _her_.

"She's with Arisa upstairs- you want to see her?" Neji asked, well aware that Yuki's uncanny resemblance to Arisa was due to the kid's being a clone of her sister.

"Wouldn't they both be asleep?" he asked, knowing how exhausted their entire team had been as of late.

"Arisa's still up. We're going through some files- though Yuki's asleep." Neji said, turning to lead Itachi up a flight of carpeted stairs, to the open doorway of Arisa's dimly lit room.

Arisa sat, her legs dangling off the bed, long dark hair falling in a curtain around half of her face as she leaned forward, eyes closed, apparently nodding off, as she cradled Yuki's head in her lap, the child herself fast asleep, equally dark hair spread in a halo around her head. Itachi stopped in the doorway, as he smiled fondly down at the two, the sight both nostalgic in a sense, and bittersweet.

Hearing Neji's footsteps as he walked into the room, Arisa jolted out of her light doze, head snapping up as she looked up first at Neji, then at Itachi's shadowy figure in the doorway.

Recognising him, her eyes hardened to a glare of silent accusation which showed she was clearly angry at him over whatever had transpired in his absence.

His eyes still trained on the child in Arisa's lap, he felt most of the drive which had kept him going the entire night drain out of him, exhaustion taking its place. A tired smile on face, he spoke in a low undertone.

"Missed me?"

"Where have you _been_?!" she hissed, Neji's hand quickly jumping to her shoulder cautioning her not to wake the child in her arms.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Itachi said, walking towards the two, still smiling fondly at Yuki's sleeping figure.

Scowling, she softened as she noted how exhausted he seemed, dark bags under his eyes clearly straining to stay awake.

"Still came to meet us afterall." Neji quipped, taking a seat in the chair he'd previously occupied, nodding to Itachi to do the same.

Itachi chose to sit on the warm carpeted floor, his head leaning against the side of the bed, Yuki's sleeping face still in his line of sight.

"You should stay the night, you're clearly too exhausted to drive." Arisa said, seeing how Itachi's eyes seemed to flutter closed the second his head hit a steady surface to lean on. Though she and Neji were likely in a similar state themselves.

"We should turn in too. No use rifling through these files any longer tonight." Neji said, putting away whatever documents still outside into the large file Shikamaru'd procured earlier.

Too tired to protest, Itachi found himself steadily slipping into a deeper sleep. Through his drowsy haze, he vaguely heard Arisa speaking to Neji.

"She just looks so much like my sister... you know I don't have many pictures, but I swear the ones I do have are near exact lookalikes."

"We have no way of finding out why." Neji countered, saying, "It's likely a coincidence."

"But what if it's not?"

Smirking as he heard them speak, Itachi's thoughts strayed back once again to the girl who's clone slept in the bed behind him. Yuki was the name they'd given the clone- another person he absolutely mustn't let down this time.

* * *

 **Still waiting for your opinions and feedback. If you want more Sasusaku stories, check out the new fanfic I'm working on, you'll find it in my profile!**

 **Don't forget to Review.**

 **~Raven**


	42. A date?

**Hi there guys.  
It's been a while, sorry.  
If anyone's interested to know why it's been so long- I've been in the middle of a little shift in countries, have finally settled in properly now.  
Don't worry, the updates from all three stories should come in more regularly now. I don't intend to leave any of them unfinished.  
Enjoy!  
Ps- check out my other Sasusaku story that's out there right now. And if you're into a different kind of NaruHina, you can check out _Serial Killler_ too. Both to be found on my profile.  
~Raven**

* * *

26th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 07:13am

"When in God's name did you develop a fashion sense?!" was the line that greeted Sakura when she walked out of the shower that morning, only to find a certain annoying blonde sprawled over her bed, next to the now opened dress box that Sasuke had given her the previous night.

Bathrobe wrapped tightly around her, hair swept up in a wrapped towel turban, she scowled at the blonde who was in the process of leaping to her feet and stalking over to Sakura's wardrobe, rifling through the closet to pull out items of clothing she deemed 'work appropriate'.

"What are you doing Ino?" Sakura said, pinching the bridge of her nose as the peaceful aftermath of her morning shower fast crumbled.

Taking out a flashy red one shouldered top, Ino tossed it to the rosette in suggestion, saying, "Why, admiring your new dress of course. I didn't think you'd have had time to go shopping- who's the lucky date? Finally snagged the Uchiha?"

"Ino. Those are waay too flashy for the office put them down." Sakura said, as the blonde tried to hand her a pair of silvery strapped stilettos. She tossed the red top back into her wardrobe in a decisive 'no' and concluded with, "And I didn't go shopping."

"What, the dress is a gift? Details!" Ino said, frowning at the discarded red top before pulling out a sequinned black halter top and a soft prussian blue jacket to pair with it.

Sighing as she agreed to the top and jacket- a far more sober look at the least, Sakura said, "There's no details to it. I'm escorting Sasuke to a dinner he has to attend tonight- apparently he doesnt want an entire security detail following him around the restaurant."

Finishing Sakura's attire with light blue cord trousers, and dark, leather boots, Ino said, "He asked you out?! I didn't think he'd have it in him! Not after all the shit he's pulled!" she laughed, going on to say, "And he got you a dress?! For a first date? That's either entirely patronizing or completely adorable!" she gushed.

"I'll go with patronising." Sakura grumbled as she walked back into the bathroom to dress herself.

Ino's voice carried through the door as she said, "I'd go with adorable! And _look_ at this dress! Sheesh, he's got taste!"

The dress itself was a simple black cocktail dress which touched the tops of her knees, a wide, comfortable neckline and a body hugging cinch at the waste. The prettiest part however, which Ino was so animatedly referring to, was the delicate black floral lace which replaced much of the fabric over the long sleeves, neck and shoulders, continuing down her back as it tapered to a point above her hips.

"It's far too expensive, I couldn't possibly accept it. I'll probably give it back tonight." Sakura said, coming out of the bathroom once again, this time fully dressed, as she sat down at the vanity to pull out a hairdryer.

"I'll say, it's worth more than the contents of your entire wardrobe! Except for the stuff I buy you, of course."

"Almost everything in my wardrobe is from you." She deadpanned, plugging the hairdryer in, "Except for the stuff I actually wear."

"You absolutely cannot return this dress. I forbid it." she commanded. "I can't believe you've finally got yourself a date! You need to be here six hours beforehand so I can do hair and makeup!"

"Absolutely not."

" _Absolutely yes_. You'll look amazing."

She turned on the hairdryer to drown out Ino's incessant babbling about what kind of colours she'd want to use on her face. After four minutes, she turned it off, running her fingers through her hair to check if she had dried it completely.

"You'll spend most of that time layering on makeup and then wiping it all off again and again until you decide you're just going to go with a simple, minimalistic design. Same goes for hair." Sakura said, turning around to face her as she once again turned on the appliance to dry the ends of her hair at the back.

"Thats!...not true." Ino defended, once the hairdryer had again turned off.

"You can't deny it."

"The point isss!" She started, rushing over to snatch the brush from Sakura's hands, and choosing to brush the rosette's hair herself, " _You_ have finally gotten yourself a date for the first time in atleast five years, and you're going in that drop dead gorgeous dress with your drop-dead gorgeous self, and we're going to make him _drooool_." she finished, giggling to herself.

* * *

26th April, 2032, Sweet Maple Cafe, Sutter Street, San Francisco, Time- 1:34

"So are you planning on telling me what had Neji's pants in a twist yesterday evening? Or who's car I saw pulling out of our driveway when I came back to the mansion?" Tenten asked, leaning forward as she propped her elbows on the table that sat between them, raising her eyebrows and brimming with curiosity.

Having both finished their lunch at a favourite cafe of theirs, the two women were in the middle of a much needed rendezvous- a one on one they hadn't had the chance to do between news of the brunette's engagement and the hectic nature of Sakura's work, currently waiting for their coffee to arrive.

Sighing, Sakura scowled as she exasperatedly said, "I suppose he's just being his usual overprotective self. Poking his nose where it's not needed. Jumping to conclusions and being an asshole in general."

The last sentence betrayed her true opinion with regards to how annoyed she was at the older Hyuga's antics.

"Overprotective? Of you? Against who?" she asked, a smile creeping up to her face as she pried further.

"Sasuke Uchiha." she deadpanned reluctantly.

"Corporate eyecandy, how'd you end up with that?" Tenten asked, her smirk playfully mischievous.

A light rose coloured blush dusting her cheeks as a memory of Tsunade's laboratory and hard, toned abs crossed her memory, Sakura said, "Its not like that... we're not together or anything."

"Then what is it like?"

"There were a few trust issues. And he was a suspect on our for quite a while, this after I'd finally began to trust him. And he's infuriatingly quiet... brooding, stoic..ugh. Annoying. And then there's Neji who comes in and says he's still a potential suspect, and that he's not to be trusted, and part of me thinks he's right and admitting that makes it all the worse." she said, sounding conflicted.

"Sounds to me like you've really got the hots for him." Tenten said, taking hold of the cup of coffee which a waitress had just placed infront of her.

"I do not!" Sakura said, her blush deepening as she realised she was blatantly lying.

"That's a lie and you know it." Tenten said, "And apparently Neji knows it too."

"Doesn't mean he has to come in and tell me who to and not to date." Sakura said, scowling once again.

"So when's he going to ask you out?" she pressed- sometimes she could be just as eager for gossip as Ino was.

"Well, he sort of has already." Sakura murmured reluctantly.

"What was that? Didn't hear you..." she said, her smirk being replaced by a large grin.

"He already has!" Sakura said, irked by her teasing.

"And you never told me..." she said with mock disappointment, "When? Does Ino know? You'll never hear the end of this..."

"Ino knows. She found out this morning. It's not a _date_ date, he just asked me to act as escort for a business meeting of his... half because we've assigned him a police detail to act as guard until the so called threat to his life is brought under arrest." Sakura said, regretting having mentioned it to begin with.

"Sounds pretty much like a date to me, when?" she asked eagerly.

"...tonight."

The look of gleeful surprise on Tenten's face was enough to make Sakura wish she could melt into her seat.

Desperate to change the topic, Sakura asked, "So how've you been? Enjoying your time off work? We'd have spent so much more time with you if we hadn't landed with this whole...mess."

"You've been really stressed as of late... why not talk about it a little?" Tenten probed, eager to help relieve the rosette of much of her mental burden.

"We're getting there. With this case, that is. Just the thought of so many children, under the kind of cruel experimentation which leaves them dead, no less, is troubling. I was so sure that the information we got from Kabuto was reliable- he wasn't lying that's for sure. And when the raid turned up blank... Three of our best members are off the team, because the intel I obtained turned out to be a false lead. And the looming threat of what happens to the children the longer we take to wrap this up." She said, her worry seeping into her words as she spoke.

Afterall, even when Arisa's conversation with Tayuya the previous night pointed in the same place for the children being held, that didn't make it any less true that Arisa, Neji and Kiba were barred from entering the FBI headquarters, because of her own slip. Added to whatever funny business Danzo was pulling behind the scenes... How was she supposed to put up with that?

Tenten nodded, patiently listening. Her own missions hadn't been as on field as Sakura's in a long time- being posted in remote towns and villages of Russia isn't exactly what she'd imagined doing as a CIA agent. But she was still sympathetic to what Sakura must have been feeling at the time.

"What makes it worse that we know the culprit, thanks to Jiraya. Apparently he's a man called Orochimaru- but we have no way of linking the crime to him yet." she added.

Tenten's expression flickered between vague recognition and surprise as she heard Sakura finish.

"I must confess, Sakura..." Tenten started, setting her half empty mug of coffee on the table in front of her and pulling an envelope out of her bag as she said, "I think I can help you here."

"You can help- What?!" she asked, surprised.

"I'm not actually on leave right now." she said, matter-of-factually. "Turns out the biggest part of my current assignment wasn't digging around in Russia, or even looking for people in Arabia, its right home in San Francisco."

Sakura looked on curiously, only half shocked by what she was hearing, as the brunette opened the envelope and spread out several pictures of some rather _familiar_ faces.

A man with blue eyes and long blonde hair, a woman with violet coloured hair tied in a bun, with amber eyes, a tall beast of a man with an almost blueish skin complexion, silvery grey hair and violet eyes - The members of the Akatsuki who Sakura'd been introduced to not so long ago stared back at her from the multiple pictures Tenten had just spread out in front of her.

"Their cover is a rock music band with growing popularity, some members even en route to making it big in Hollywood. The Akatsuki, my latest assignment." Tenten said.

"The Akatsuki- what?- Tenten, they're musicians. You're making no sense!" Sakura said, increasingly surprised, in shocked disbelief of the turn of events.

"It's a long term thing my mentor was working on for the longest of time before he retired. I furthered his investigation. A serious of unsolved and pretty serious crimes ranging from explosions in the Russian parliament to assassinations in Brussels- their perpetrators supposedly unknown to the authorities. But out intel says otherwise." Tenten explained, deliberating how much she could tell Sakura without putting her own assignment in danger.

"They all point to members of this group. And they have an anonymous, powerful benefactor- someone who's kept them out of trouble all this time." she continued, tapping one of the pictures in front of her before pulling out a few more reports from the envelope, one of which Sakura reached out to grasp and skim through- a report of victims from an explosion in St Petersburg.

"But the catch is, none of them were ever accused or convicted of these crimes. _And_ , they came together as a group much later, once investigations had all but ceased completely. Now, I'm trying to link the crimes and find out _why_."

"But aren't these Neji and Arisa's friends? Do they know? Isn't Itachi the manager, does he know?" Sakura asked- the only thing keeping her from blatantly laughing at what she was being told was the fact that it was _Tenten_ she was talking to. As ridiculous as it all sounded, she had no other choice but to believe it.

"Neji and Arisa...I really don't know how much they know. None, I hope, but I can't be sure. As for Itachi...I have no idea. As you know, I've only been here for a few days. Only time can tell." Tenten said, sighing with frustration.

"How does this tie into what I said about Orochimaru?" Sakura asked, still trying to analyze this new information, finding its relevance to her own current case.

"After a lot of background checks on the targets and victims, we started to find a pattern of sorts. Common associates, transactions, that sort of stuff. But more importantly, eventually we began to find one thing they all had in common- their association with Hebi laboratories."

"Hebi Laboratories?"

"Located near one of the Universities on the southern side of town, sponsored by various organisations and in part by the host university itself, and run by a Professor Orochimaru."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and understanding.

Tenten pulled out another picture, accompanied with a file. "This is all the information I've gathered on Hebi Laboratories. You can keep it for a while and see if it helps. It seems if Orochimaru is brought into FBI custody it makes my own job alot easier, so I've nothing to lose with you having this- That's the logo on the picture on top." she added, pointing out the picture of a printed serpentile insignia, which likened itself to the letter 'S'.

"You think this is connected? To the experiments we're trying to uncover?" Sakura asked.

"I think whatever it is your team is after, it's part of something much bigger. I'd almost say you're in over your heads. You have enemies in your own workplace- your superior. But you can't let them win. And this? Hebi Laboratories? It's definitely worth a shot."

She nodded in agreement, a lingering hesitation in her eyes. If they slipped up again, then it would only give Danzo more reason to shut down the case entirely. Was it truly worth that result?

Tenten shook her head in exasperation, but gave Sakura a reassuring smile, reaching out to grasp the pinkette's hand comfortingly. "Go back to the house. Have another look. Dont make it a full on raid- the house is as good as empty now afterall. Things will turn out fine- you don't need to worry."

Sakura sighed, nodding in agreement as she accepted the brunette's logic. "You're right."

"I always am." she said, playfully.

"I wouldn't go that far...But seriously, thank you Tenten. For everything."

* * *

26th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 07:34pm

She looked _stunning_.

Her black, silky dress hugging her curves like a glove, the floral lace tantalizingly teasing the milky, supple skin of her smooth back, and sculpted collarbones, not to mention her long, toned arms.

Her legs long and bare, smooth and long enough to have gone on forever if it weren't for the black, close toed stilettos which cupped her feet.

Her hair swept over one shoulder, and her lone visible ear home to a thin, silver, wing shaped earring, reminiscent of an angel's wing glittering on a moonlit night.

Beautiful as always, her eyes almond shaped, a viridian green which seemed to bore into him, as she looked up at him through the shadowed doorway- her expression, which he usually found so easily readable, frustratingly unintelligible.

Her lips a light red, their natural colour, plump and ...delicious. The adjective supplied itself inadvertently at his last memory of them together.

Put simply, _stunning_.

She laughed lightly, finding herself growing increasingly embarrassed by his lingering gaze on her. "Are you going to stop staring at my lips and take me to your car, maybe? Which is it today, the Aston Martin or the Rolls Royce?" she said sarcastically, a comment on her part which had the back of his neck heating up in hidden embarrassment, as she turned around to pick up a dark red coat, a complement to the cold night outside.

What was wrong with him? He'd somehow managed to do an even better job than Naruto at making a fool of himself.

"Who says I'd stick with a car?" he said, his statement deceptively implicative as her eyes widened in surprise.

"You don't expect me to-"

"Relax, it's only a limo." he said, reassuringly.

"A limo?" she said, laughing slightly as she bit her lip in exasperation.

"Any problem with it?" he asked, his arm wrapping possessively around her waist as he led her out of the mansion's porch.

"Not necessarily...I hadn't taken you for a limo type of person." she said, smirking as they walked down the stairs to the porch, feet crunching on the gravel of the driveway as they walked to the mansion's front gate, where his vehicle was stationed.

"I hadn't taken you to be a stiletto type of woman. Impressions can be wrong." he countered.

Her smirk turned into a frown of annoyance as she said, "I swear, I'm going to murder Ino. I never wanted to wear them in the first place."

"Murder is a bit strong don't you think. Isn't she the one who set this up in the first place?" he asked, 'this' referring to their more personal association, knowing his defence of her friend would further rile her up. Something about seeing her so vexed he found incredibly attractive.

"Like that's a good thing..." she trailed off nonchallantly as they reached his limo.

"You think it's not?" he said, the humorous tone in his voice all but gone as he turned her to face him, slowly closing the distance between them, her back to the sleek black vehicle.

Her eyes, until now trained on his face, darted away quickly, suddenly finding an incredibly interesting branch off the nearest bush, reluctant to meet his eyes as she gave him a hurried answer of, "It's not like I can name many good situations arisen out of that meeting..."

His face was now inches away from hers; he could feel her shallow, shaky breaths more than he could hear them- and she could no doubt feel the warmth radiating off his body in the cool night air.

"I can." he said, as his hand moved to hold her chin, turning her till her eyes met his, trying to express his sincerity with his normally emotionless eyes.

Her hands hesitantly moved from behind her back, one resting on his chest as the other moved around to cup his neck and pull his face even closer to hers, till her breath tickled him with her next words, "And what would that be?"

Her touch electrifying against his skin, his breathless reply was, "This."

He pulled away, smirking at the smouldering look in her eyes as he took a few steps back, and extended a hand towards her in a gesture for her to take it.

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Tease." as she reached out to take his outstretched hand, her small, feminine hand enveloped in his far larger one. He led her to the other side of the car, where he pulled open the door, chivalrously holding it open with one hand as his other guided her into the vehicle.

As she slipped behind the sleek black door, his hand pulled away, suddenly, as though it had been burned.

He stood, transfixed on spot, unmoving as he held the car's door wide open, the chilly night air pouring into the warmer interior.

His fingers still felt the cool, silver tingling of the wristlet he'd felt under his fingers. His eyes moving towards the same wrist his fingers had just released, he was greeted by the old, silvery engravings of a cherry blossom bracelet secured around her arm.

Looking up at him in confusion, she said, "Sasuke? What's wrong?" concern laced her voice.

Memories of his latest dream surfaced to his mind, which quickly spiralled into a nagging sense of familiarity deeper in the whirlwind of memories and thoughts which assaulted him in that moment.

He forced himself away from his thoughts as he turned to look into her worried, perplexed green eyes.

"It's nothing. Just thought I'd forgotten something." he supplied in answer to her questioning gaze.


	43. Yes, a date

26th April 2032, San Francisco, Time - 7.54pm

He shouldn't be doing this.

He knew he shouldn't.

He'd been told all too many times by various people that he shouldn't.

If anything, even her lingering distrust of him, the wary guardedness with which she continually regarded him, should have been enough warning for him to know what he was doing was wrong.

And yet, to him, the only thing intrinsically _wrong_ about the entire arrangement was the fact that it had taken her so long to _stop_ looking at him with underlying suspicion and finally start to relax around him.

He'd been making an earnest effort (at least, in his eyes) to clear whatever misunderstandings had led her to alter her behaviour towards him so drastically from the first time they'd actually connected over dinner. Heck, he'd gone out of his way to apologise to her, given her what he had deemed a fitting dress for the 'date' he'd inadvertently asked her on (girls were supposed to like that sort of thing, right?) and even acquired a limo as a mode of transport- (so definitely out of character for him). But he'd realised, much to his approval in a sense, that the closest he'd gotten to seeing her relax around him and shed her guarded wary look of reproach, was when he'd started talking to her with as much honesty as he could muster. Of course, he should have known from the start that she wasn't one to be swayed by materialistic luxuries; she'd liked him for his own character the first time round, not the affluence the name "Uchiha" brought with it.

Sasuke wasn't one for words most of the time, but he somehow found himself quite willing to respond to her efforts to make conversation while they were en route to their destination. She stoked a side of him he hadn't realised still existed- one he could only vaguely suppose was part of his character in those early hazy memories of before they'd taken his mother away. One which preferred to take pleasure simply in the times they spent together not focused on any all consuming goal or motive, unlike what his life as of late had largely become.

And in spite of all the warning bells ringing in his head as he chose to sit on her side of the vehicle, rather than on the empty seat opposite her; in spite of his uncle's imminent disapproving glares at his choice of company to this particular meeting; in spite of the fact that according to his brother, he was putting at risk everything they'd been working towards in terms of saving his mother (a task which still hung over him like an ever-present weight on his shoulders)- in spite of everything, the only things which seemed to be of much importance to him at that moment were the small, shy laughs she'd make in response to something he'd inadvertently say, or the way she held his gaze for a little longer every time their eyes met, less guarded and more relaxed each time, or the way she'd begun to gently lean her head against his shoulder as their conversation lulled.

He had no way of defining the growing attraction he was developing towards her; the only things he knew were that he wanted more of her- be it getting to know her, spending time with her, or even, catering to his more possessive side, to claim her as his own; he wanted _more_ , and he knew he shouldn't want anything to do with her.

Moreover, the only thought of significant gravitasse whirring in his head was the echoing memory of his recent dream, the connection it had with the bracelet he'd found on her arm today, and his confused speculation on what significance that could have had. Another memory came to mind, one of his asking her, not so long ago, at a table in Ichido's, the identity of the person who'd given her that particular bracelet. Her instinctive reply was 'you', before she rectified it soon after. Could it be that, on some level, her initial response had been the right one? It was incredibly silly of him to be basing such speculation on merely a creation of his subconscious, but still...

He found himself pulled away from his brooding as he felt her presence on his arm suddenly disappear as she moved towards the car door. A quick check of their surroundings brought him to the realisation that they'd reached their destination, leading him to leave the car, holding the door open as he held out a hand for his companion to grasp onto.

Her soft, creamy fingers clasped in his larger hand reminded him again of the way they'd felt laced through his hair the previous day, before her silken voice drew his attention to the question she posed.

"So I'm guessing Naruto's already told you about his all inclusive _plans_ for the weekend?" she asked, laughing as she watched his stoic expression rapidly deteriorate into one of confusion and dread.

"What plans?" he asked, inwardly face palming at whatever nonsense the idiot had signed himself up for this time.

"Hinata mentioned it last night. Apparently the four of us have promised to take Yuki to an amusement park or something- I think they mentioned a fair actually. Goodness knows how Naruto planned on dragging _you_ along; you're the last person I'd ever imagine going to a seasonal fair of that sorts-" she supplied, a smirk growing on her face at the mental imagery.

"I could say the same for you." he quipped as they walked to the elevator, already noting with resigned annoyance that there was no way he could back out of it without inciting his best friends incessant whining and complaining, potentially hurting Yuki as well from the disappointment. But, a part of him still argued, did he even want to back out?

"Not normally, no. But it's for Yuki. Plus, it sounds like it could be pretty fun."

 _Fun indeed_. He found the prospect of spending a day out with her, away from the circumstances they were grouped under, with her almost exclusive company, incredibly alluring. (Assuming Naruto didn't cling to him the entire time)

"I'm assuming you'll shoot him down and tell him you're not going, huh?" she asked.

 _That's what I would have planned on doing._ "Who says I don't want to go too?" he retorted, smirking as he fixed her with what he knew was an intense gaze, finding it returned with smouldering emerald irises, refusing to break eye contact as he went on to add, "Maybe we could even find something else to do once the _kids_ are satisfied." Kids being Yuki _and_ Naruto. "Alone"

She looked as though she was about to say something, a light blush dusting her cheeks, but he found himself fixated solely on her simmering jade orbs, which seemed to read every thought that crossed his mind while being so informative as to the mass of excited anticipation, mild humour, and something akin to embarrassment as she read into the possible intentions behind what he'd just said.

All of which were cut short by the sound of the elevator signalling that they'd reached their intended floor, leaving him to forego her hand in lieu of placing his arm possessively around her waist, leading her into the restaurant, to their designated table.

* * *

26th April 2032, Jardinière Restaurant, 300 Grove Street, San Francisco, Time- 8.23pm

"We're starting clinical trials next month- I swear Sasuke, we've got an amazing research team this time. There's this one woman- Dr Yuhi, she's only been on the team for six months but I'm seriously considering referring her to join the research team here." The elder Uchiha, who Sakura'd discovered was a cousin of some sort to her own escort for the night, was in the process of animatedly informing Sasuke of what he considered noteworthy updates from the European side of things.

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement, looking like he was about to say something in response when the fourth member of the table interrupted both men.

"Oh come on boys, that sort of thing is neither here or there. We're here to catch up- save the nitty-gritty for your meeting tomorrow. And Sasuke! You simply must tell us how you ever came to meet a woman as lovely as Sakura. I've never seen you spare as much as a second glance towards the women in your life." Rin Uchiha, who had been quietly making conversation to Sakura till then, indulging her husband's insistence on talking 'business' with his cousin, had finally stepped into their conversation with a stern unspoken demand to move the conversation to more appropriate realms.

Sakura watched as Obito visibly seemed to whine in complaint at his wife's words, before sharing a moment of brief eye contact with the woman in question and nodding in silent understanding- finding their interaction adorable from the vantage point her emerald eyes bought her.

"We ended up meeting through work- a series of well placed coincidences really." Sakura supplied, looking out of the corner of her eyes to find Sasuke's onyx eyes trained unabashedly on her.

"So you work at the Corporation?" Obito asked, eyebrow raised.

"Not really. I'm a cop." she supplied, relishing in the look of surprise the statement brought to their faces.

Rin broke out into a cheeky grin as she looked on in approval, nodding to Sasuke as she said, "It's about time that kid got a strong woman to put him in his place for a change. A cop...well I never."

Sakura offered a graceful smile in response, sinking into an amiable conversation with the couple as their meals arrived and the night progressed, all the while aware of Sasuke's ever-present gaze in her direction, and the hand he subtly placed on her leg; not close enough to her knee to be patronising, not too far up her thigh to be thought indecent, but lightly strumming his fingers along the area in between making its presence unignoreable.

At some point Sakura found herself in the lady's room with Rin, lightly checking her reflection in the mirror and tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear as the other woman brushed up parts of her makeup.

"Sooo, how long have you been together?" Rin asked, breaking the silence that hung between the two women.

 _Right_. _So that's what they've been thinking. That we're **together**._ Sakura face palmed internally, and would have groaned in embarrassment had she any less control over her emotions. _Better clear that misunderstanding up._ "Well, technically, we're not 'together'."

"Well let me tell you something, love, it won't be very long until you will be." She said with a knowing smirk.

Choking on her own breath, Sakura coughed, her face colouring as she asked, "E- _Excuse me?"_

"A tip from a woman who's had to put up with that Uchiha nonsense for the greater part of fifteen years- If you know how to read an Uchiha, you can tell when he's serious. And that boy back there is most _definitely_ serious about you." she went on, almost patronisingly (but not quite).

 _Erm, okaay. Now what am I supposed to say to that?_ "Hmm... I don't exactly see how you can know that."

" _Hon_ , you should have _seen_ the way that boy was looking at you- you'd think he thought you're the only woman in the world, now ain't that sweet?" she went on, her expression letting Sakura know how adorable the other woman found the entire description.

 _I'm pretty sure that's the last thing he had on his mind._

"Don't give me that expression now- I haven't misinterpreted, have I? You do have feelings for him don't you?" the older women asked, a look of embarrassed concern on her face.

 _No. Of course she didn't. When they first met- perhaps she'd liked him._ Until he'd proven to be a lying bastard. _But he had done his best to apologise._ Not ruling out the team's suspicion that he was still tangled up in the mess their current investigation was slowly trying to unravel. There was no logical reason for her to even consider Rin's question. _Yet, she had no way of resisting that strong, inexplicable pull he had on her. As though it were strong enough to disregard every suspicion surrounding his actions and strip them down to what they were meant to be;_ signs of affection? _Not to mention the growing part of her which seemed to agree with what Rin was trying to say; recognising certain habits and subtle nuances in the way he acted around her, as though she instinctively **knew** him? _

She thought back to the first night she honestly found herself liking him for _him_ , and not for any of the work- associated trouble which surrounded their meeting. And then again back to the soft, tenderness in his eyes as she woke up to find herself clutching his hand, his eyes bare inches away from her own as they peered on, his thoughts lost somewhere in those obsidian pools. If she thought of him alone, separated from the mass of circumstantial evidence that pointed against her, she found every fibre of her being willing to trust him completely; as though she could see a side of him which was torn apart and submerged in the mess of deceit and secrecy which surrounded her investigation and his company, and it was a side she was more than comfortable to engage with.

Did she like him? Impulsive as it may have seemed, her final answer always boiled down to a _Yes._ An inexplicable, undeniable _yes_. Repercussions be damned.

And she answered the same to the brown haired woman who stood by her side, studying her expression cautiously through her reflection in the mirror.

* * *

26th April 2032, Jardinière Restaurant, 300 Grove Street, San Francisco, Time- 8.53pm

Sasuke peered at the cousin sitting across from him over the rim of his wine glass. Both women had left the table several minutes prior and neither had spoken a word since, both absorbed in their own thoughts allowing a companionable silence to ensue. However, having finally allowed himself to sort his thoughts to his satisfaction, Sasuke leaned forward slightly and began to speak.

Incidentally, his cousin chose to do so at the exact same moment.

"How are you tackling the Ethical Committee for those trials?"

"A _cop_ , Sasuke? _Seriously,_ a _cop_?!"

Both sat blinking blankly at each other for a few moments until Obito started talking, shaking his head knowingly as he grinned. "Like I said, we've got an amazing research team. Good at presenting sufficient evidence and handing it over to us so we can handle the Committee. And Dr Yuhi is looking for a change of pace- she seems on board with a promotion to HQ here, even."

Sasuke nodded with approval, satisfied with the response before adding, "If you bring her file along to the meeting tomorrow, I'll have a look. We might need more people on this side of things."

Still grinning, Obito pressed, "You've not answered my question yet, Sasuke."

"I don't see what there is to answer." Sasuke supplied, unwilling to explain himself to the likes of Obito, as though he were a child caught doing something he shouldn't.

If possible, Obito's grin widened, in danger of becoming a permanent feature on his elfish face. Sasuke looked towards the hallway through which Sakura had disappeared with Rin earlier, involuntarily willing her to return sooner.

As if by design, a head of pink hair emerged, followed by the brunette she'd left with earlier, and he could vaguely hear the tail ends of whatever conversation they were having as her laughter reached his ears like chiming bells.

"...and don't get me _started_ on their limited vocabulary!" He heard Rin saying.

"Always talking in 'Hn's or 'Aa's" was Sakura's response, followed by further laughter from both women.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he realised their laughter was a joke- at _their_ expense.

As both women reached their table and Sakura slid onto the smooth leather seat next to Sasuke, he reached out an arm to wrap around her waist, ignoring her surprise as he pulled her closer to lean against his side.

Leaning down till his lips brushed the shell of her ear, he smirked and whispered suggestively, "You know, I can be an expert _communicator_ when I want to be." relishing in the light blush that dusted her cheeks in response.

* * *

26th April, 2032, Unknown Location, San Francisco, Time - 9.38pm

"Do you honestly think he can pull this off?" a sleek, feminine voice cut through the darkness from their perch, an office somewhere in the higher floors of a private-owned multi-storey compound, the only other occupant of the room her male associate.

Before them a large computer mainframe lay open- various screens with various videos, analysis units and data streams on display.

The main focus of their conversation, was however the enlarged screen which played out footage from a surveillance camera planted in a restaurant of their particular interest; specifically the quartet consisting of two Uchihas, a wife and a target, which was currently in the process of ordering tea and after-meal beverages. And at that, no ordinary surveillance. State of the art undetectable surveillance planted specifically for the purpose of recording both the visual and auditory proceedings with extreme detail.

"Itachi has assured me of his compliance-" the gruff male voiced.

"Itachi doesn't know what's at stake." The woman cut off harshly, her voice barely above a whisper the entire time. "He knows almost nothing." she continued, looking at the other man pointedly, "He doesn't even know I exist." she said, laughing mirthlessly as she looked at the other man pointedly, adding an insidious after threat of, "And you'd best keep it that way."

Turning back to the screen, she sighed and added, "Besides," her head inclined towards the digital image of Sasuke Uchiha, " _That_ boy isn't nearly as tightly under his elder brother's thumb as you'd like to believe..."

"Still enough under his mother's to know what needs to be done." he retorted.

She glared at him, her sapphire eyes icily staring him down as she questioned him sceptically, "Ask yourself in all honesty- does that look like a man who's guided by his logic?"

* * *

26th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 10:47pm

He'd intentionally let their driver station their vehicle beyond the gates to the mansion's grounds- with the pretence of accompanying her to the front door to see her home safely. She didn't seem to mind in the least though, he noted with gratification.

"So I'll be seeing you this weekend, I take it?" he said, watching as she came to a stop just out of line of sight of the main house.

"If you actually want to go. Don't force yourself." she quipped, looking at him with soft concern.

"Do you honestly think I'm the type of person who would?" he asked, smirking.

She returned his smile, saying, "No. No, you wouldn't."

He felt his smirk drop as her own smile fled from her face, a look of apologetic guilt replacing it. She looked as though she were about to say something, so he waited for her to start talking.

"Look, Sasuke...I can't say I completely trust you, even now." she started.

He felt the corners of his mouth tugging into a frown before she went on to continue her line of thought.

"..But I haven't been entirely fair to you either. I've not seen you be anything but sincere in your attempts to apologise for that entire mess we started off with. And..I've been pretty hard on you I guess. God, I'm rambling now." he watched as her eyes betrayed the emotions flitting through her mind, her face equally as expressive to him in that moment- her initial hesitation, her resigned guilt, and even her shy embarrassment at the end.

He found the urge to smirk increasingly undeniable, especially in light of what he realised was an attempt at a proper reconciliation coming from the incredibly attractive woman standing next to him.

"I guess, what I mean to say is, I won't even dream of saying I don't like you- that would be me lying. I believe there's a man under all that corporate nonsense and stoic exterior- a man I met that night in Ichido's. I liked that man. And, as much as you might have been lying about your identity then, that man is you. Erm, I suppose I'm trying to say we could-"

"I think that's quite enough." he interrupted, his smirk teetering on the brink of breaking into a genuine smile- remaining a smirk only by a small margin. _You've said more than enough for me to understand_.

He watched her frown, slight confusion marring her dainty features as she opened her mouth as though to say something.

He took a step towards her, commanding her attention with his eyes as he leaned towards her, saying, "I get the general idea.." he said, swooping down to catch her lips in a tentative kiss, momentarily concerned that he may have misinterpreted the situation entirely when he felt her stiffen against him, before relaxing in satisfaction as he felt her respond to his lips with a rapidly intensifying _hunger._ For him.

He felt his hands involuntarily reach around her, pulling her petite form closer to his as his hands roamed over her lace- covered back, overcome with the overwhelming need to _feel_ her close to him, eventually finding one of his hands tugging urgently at her silky tresses, tilting her head upwards to an angle which allowed him better access, with the other hand reaching the dip of her hips, pushing her more firmly towards him.

She responded with equal vigour, her body rolling against him in ways that did nothing to abate his growing arousal, almost as though she was _trying_ to make him lose every ounce of control he had remaining. He shuddered at the contact as he felt a hand slowly start stroking up and down his chest, pushing his suit coat aside so there was nothing but the fabric of his shirt separating her hand from his skin, fingers ever so subtly slipping between the buttons of his shirt to tease his bare skin before darting away again. Her other hand slowly dipped below his abdomen, boldly rubbing his thigh with a tender, irresistible touch. _Gods, she was driving him crazy_.

Groaning into her mouth, he slipped his tongue out, ever so lightly running it along the length of her lower lip, feeling her shiver in pleasure as her closed eyes snapped open, looking at him with a fiery desire with an equally suggestive moan that did nothing to help his quickly waning control. Her lips parted, sighing in contentment as her own tongue darted out to meet his, deepening the contact at her lips as his hand left her hair, reaching down to one of her legs and lifting it up till it wrapped around his waist, still grinding his hips into hers as their tongues warred for dominance.

The hand at his chest half heartedly pushed at him as she broke the kiss, gasping for air, her eyes still clouded with lust as she breathlessly whispered the first word that came to her mind, "Wow."

He smirked, looking down at her dishevelled state, realising he must look no better, but finding he didn't mind, yearning for _more_ of her as he dipped his head down again, this time to latch onto her neck, just below her ear, and leave a trail of hot, sensual kisses along her neck, in a steady path toward her collarbone. Her hand left his thighs to wrap around his back, her leg gripping his hips in what she must have known would be an all too seductive tantalisation.

"I- we should -maybe do- take elsewhere if we-" she attempted at letting her words form some coherent string of thoughts, grasping on to whatever logical sense must have been rapidly fading from her head in light of what he was doing to her.

"You're wearing too much." he muttered in response to this, still attacking the column of his throat, smirking at the thought of the possessive marks he'd be leaving on her, as though staking claim.

"You bought me it..." she quipped, her hands tugging his at his hair, moving his lips back towards her own as she pushed their lips together, sucking delightfully at his lower lip through a sensual moan.

A hand moved to the back of her dress, playing with the zipper with every intent to pull it away the second they decided to move to a more secluded area.

Her hand abruptly left his hair, reaching back to grab onto the one which was splayed over her back, pulling it away from the zipper. Still finding it hard to speak, she pulled away from his lips by a hair's breadth, panting heavily as she said, "Not here. Not today."

 _So that's how it's going to be, huh?_ Finding it almost cruel to have to let go of her after letting her work him up so much, he dipped his head once again to catch her lips in yet another carnal lip lock, teeth scraping lightly against her tongue as he mercilessly attacked the inner caverns of her mouth (with the full intention to sweep her off her feet with a kiss).

Finally pulling away after he felt his reluctance had been aptly conveyed, he smirked at her near-dazed expression as they tried to extract themselves from their _...intimate_ position.

"As you wish." he whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear as he spoke.

He was gone before either of them could recover from the intensity of the moment.

* * *

26th April, 2032, Unknown Location, San Francisco, Time - 10.54pm

"If you really believe he won't be committed enough to bring her in, then why not enter the scene yourself and stress the _importance_ of his completing this task?" the gruff masculine voice asked her, almost taunting the woman to whom he was speaking.

Her poignant look of disapproval was enough to have him quickly looking away with a muttered apology, "Do not forget your place. You are merely a messenger. _His_ lapdog."

"At least I am _loyal_ to him." the man interjected.

Her voice shook with laughter, though there was no humour to her expression as she spoke, "There is no delight in being loyal to a crazed psychopath. Dare you question my dedication to seeing this completed?"

"You and I both know you've not an ounce of loyalty in your being. You're in this for yourself alone." he pressed, towering over her in spite of knowing she held the final authority in their situation.

"Of course, did I deny it?" she asked.

Scowling, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her unceremoniously towards him till his face was close enough to hers to see the malevolent intent practically oozing out of him. "I'm watching you. You slip up, you're dead meat."

He released her and stalked out of the room soon after, leaving her to turn away from the computer monitors and towards the window outside.

Pale, tired hands reached up to press into her temples, the heels of her palms absent-mindedly rubbing into her face as she let out a haggard sigh.

Cynthia at long last moved her hands away from her face, looking wistfully out at the distant view of a mountain visible in the distance from the window of the office, trying her hardest to ignore the way her heart leapt at the prospect of meeting _him_ again, if Zetsu's words were to be truly heeded in her taking a more active role of involvement. Despite the morbid circumstances, her heart wouldn't let go of its longing for the boy she used to know.


	44. Siren

26th April, 2032, Hyuga Mansion, San Francisco, Time- 11:17pm

The first thing she noticed when she walked through the hallway, somewhat dazed and mildly embarrassed by the way she'd allowed herself to be quite literally swept off her feet so quickly, was that the study lights were still on- not a rare occurrence in their household, but one which piqued her interest nonetheless, especially when she glanced in on the room to check who was inside and took a near double take as she recognized the pineapple shaped up-do characteristically sported by Shikamaru.

Noting the way his back stiffened as he realised someone else had entered the room, she commented, "You're up late. This is rare."

"Well considering 'work' doesn't count as high-dining with corporate moguls in everyone's diary, it's kind of a necessity." he said, not missing a beat in recognising her tone and choosing not to turn and greet her, instead lifting the mug of what must have been tea slowly to his mouth level.

"What are you even doing? A data backlog from the office? Don't think for a second I don't know you'd be shoving this onto Neji or someone if they weren't denied access to the files." she said, slightly teasingly.

"Where's your boyfriend again, shouldn't he be around to shut you up?"

"You really suck at the random insults, you know."

She watched him lift the mug to his lips, sighing something that sounded vaguely like 'troublesome' before he tensed, his gaze fixing itself intently on the computer screen as he haphazardly set the cup down and started working on the computer almost panickedly- before pausing to sit back and frown confusedly at the computer screen.

Walking up to stand behind him at the desk, a hand on his shoulder as she pushed the mug of tea towards the center of the desk, away from where it could so very easily tip over onto stacks of paperwork, she asked, "Something wrong?"

"An anonymous file sent to the computer, which should be impossible because of the firewalls and IP servers I'm using. A Trojan, I thought, but..." he trailed off, typing further on the keyboard initiating what looked to her like another security scan of the file.

"But what?" she prompted, peering over his shoulder now.

"It looks entirely clear. And untraceable."

"What is it?"

"I don't know, it's risky opening it."

"But you said its clear."

"Or something I can't trace yet."

"Or it could be something you'll actually find useful."

"You think?"

"Just open it. Worst comes, you need to hack it and override it."

"But that's so much more effort."

"Shikamaru," the stern reprimand in her voice was enough to dissuade his whine as he proceeded to download and access the file, opening up a series of what looked like schematics and planning designs for some sort of device.

"Holy shit," he said, as she watched him narrow in on the diagrams, piecing together what it was supposed to create in his mind.

"A bomb?" she asked, though knowing as she studied the diagrams and lines of code in front of her that she was wrong, putting together the pieces of something she wasn't quite familiar with, something which Shikamaru quite evidently was.

"No, a cloaking device." he said, before frowning further and adding, "And what looks like coordinates."

She watched him pull up a separate window on the screen, and run what looked like a cross reference for said coordinates to figure out where they were pointing to.

She heard him curse under his breath again, switching back to the schematics, his eyes sweeping over the diagrams and lines of code once again, disbelief evident in the way his eyebrows arched as he continued skimming through the files.

"Coordinates to where?" she prompted, feeling the need to draw him out of his own thoughts before he began ignore her entirely.

"You should know, you were there two days ago." He said, pushing the screen aside and angling it till she could fully see the map he'd pulled up.

"Mission district, Warehouse 4b, what's th- oh, hell." A failed raid. Cloaking device? Rare, but not unheard of. Not at the level of technology they expected to be going up against- it would be perfectly reasonable. _And something they hadn't thought about._

Her heart lurching as she felt something click in her mind, the missing puzzle piece in their flailing case, she spoke quickly, near breathless with excitement, "This is _it_ , Shikamaru, this is how they've slipped under our radar. Tayuya was right, Kabuto wasn't lying. All the proof we need must be there."

"Who in their right mind would just _happen_ to send the _one_ file we need to solve the case and practically deliver it on our doorstep? Looks like a trap if I ever saw one."

"Or an anonymous tip. It could be someone working from the inside. You said, its a clean file. What's the trap in figuring out how to disable a cloaking device?"

"You're being unrealistic, Sakura. Even if we managed to find whatever they've cloaked, it could just be a way to get us all in one place and pick us off."

"It's worth a _try_ , Shikamaru." she pleaded, following whatever low gut feeling told her, instinctively, that this was the solution. "And we can trace a source afterwards. Atleast figure out if we can get this cloaking device disabled. It could even be a practical joke of some sort, but its worth a try."

Something in the look he fixed her with, told her that something in what she said had gotten through to him, that he'd been convinced, albeit dubiously, as to following through on what she was saying.

Sighing, muttering something which sounded suspiciously like 'what a drag', he finally, audibly agreed, with, "...okay. But geez, get out of my hair I've had enough of Ino this evening I can't handle another one of you now, shoo!"

* * *

27th April, 2032, Unknown Location, San Francisco, Time - 00.54pm

"There's seven members that we know of in the so called 'inner circle'. Who control the experiments and research, for the larger part of it."

Kisame watched as Nagato began breaking down information that took the Akatsuki months, even years to gather and put together on what controlled the Uchiha corporation, to the scraggly white haired uncle who seemed to be the latest person Itachi deemed to trust with the information.

Since Itachi had first put the team together, they'd gotten much closer to their initial goals, yet the identities of the people who largely called the shots were still a big question mark in their records. While the Uchiha corporation was responsible for direct experimentation and laboratory trials, they were controlled entirely by a larger, more anonymous entity. The same entity as was responsible for Mikoto's capture, that which directed how the experiments were to be conducted. The inner circle was the closest they'd gotten to whoever was controlling the Uchiha Corporation from behind the scenes, and Itachi'd decided it was high time they filled in his uncle on what they'd found out about said inner circle.

Standing next to the Uchiha in question, Kisame noted his attention seemingly almost scattered- he hadn't been quite his usual stoic self since he'd gone awol the other night when Sasori'd been arrested. As a friend, he was tempted to give the guy a break and take him out for a night off of some sort, but there were more pressing matters to attend to at the present time.

"So wait," he heard the white haired scarecrow (or so he'd come to refer to the man as in his mind) interrupt Nagato's drone after the other man had finished surmising much of what they'd currently brought themselves to know about the ones pulling the strings, posing the question, "The only one in this 'inner circle' who's identity you actually know is Zetsu?"

"Identity and role, yes. Zetsu is essentially the link between the inner ranks and everything else they control- he's the only one to directly interact with the scientists, research, and with Itachi and Sasuke." Nagato answered, the tone of his voice never once rising above its normal monotonous drone.

"But we have other profiles, just not exact identities." Sasori chipped in.

"Like this one," Hidan interrupted, pushing a folder across the table to where Kakashi sat. "Goes by 'the Siren'. She's probably the only woman in on it at this level, the one we know the least on. But she's important. Powerful. Hella sexy too." he finished, grinning moronically at his pointless innuendo

"You've never seen her, she's also faceless." Itachi cut in, rolling his eyes before finally directing his attention towards the meeting itself, directly asking Hidan the question on which they'd hinged their entire last minute meeting that night, "What's the new intel you said you had?"

Purple eyes flicked back to another folder on the table in front of them, singling out the one which bore the label 'Mask'. "One of these dipshits entered the city yesterday morning. Its about fucking time we figured out who one of them is." He passed the folder over the table to Itachi, who's response was to frown, the gears in his head visibly turning to process this newfound information, in a pensive silence.

Peering over his shoulder, Kisame's eyes skimmed the now open folder, mind taking in lines of information he already knew as he read over the summary of Maski's role in the 'inner circle' they'd identified.

 _Mask; Recruitment in-charge_

 _Screens and selects experimental subjects and/or talented scientists, laboratory professional [irrespective of a connection to the corporation] and arranges for their untimely 'death'/'disappearance'._

 _N.b; these subjects are proven not dead, have been removed to a remote and unknown destination where it is assumed further experimentation take place._

 _Further responsible for removing all threats to the anonymity of the circle._

Kisame knew, from memory, that the file went on to detail the abilities and potential threats Maske posed, which seemed to be the subject of Itachi's scrutiny as he scanned through the file.

"Thousands of people come into San Francisco on a daily basis, that's like looking for a needle in a shitstack!" Deidara's voice drew their attention to the other end of the table they sat around.

"But we know whoever the fuck this guy is he's not from this side of the fucking Atlantic. That narrows it down a fucking fair chunk." Hidan countered, defending the value of his intel against the blonde's cynical question.

"It could be _anyone_ , but it's the closest we've got. We could actually track them down and get them in one place now." Sasori added, dull brown eyes glaring pointedly at Deidara.

"Well we've given him quite a headstart with all the shit you pulled yesterday!" Deidara retorted, bringing up mention of an arrest which the rest of them had done a fairly good job of avoiding till then.

"Atleast I wasn't sitting around the hospital being absolutely fucking useless" Sasori shot back, still pissed off about their near scuffle with the law.

"Keeping an eye on whatever sick shit your bitch pulled with her kids!" the blonde continued, having not had the opportunity to bring this up as a group as of yet.

Seeing Sasori tense at the verbal jab, Kisame sensed it was time to step in before the conversation escalated above anything more than snide remarks, "All right, cool it. You know Sasori was there on Itachi's say-so, stop behaving like two year-olds. We'll need lists of all flights/ trains/ ships into the city in the last forty eight hours; if you're lucky, this will finally be your chance to stop raking up tensions going stir crazy around the house and actually get to take it out on something worthwhile!"

"Geez, next thing you know they'll start stomping their feet and rolling around on the floor every time they throw a tantrum," Hidan chipped in, while Nagato followed up on the second half of what Kisame said, typing rapidly on the keyboard open in front of him.

Chuckling lightly at the vivid image placed in his head by Hidan's comparison, Kisame went on to nudge Itachi, asking, "What do you make of it?"

The Uchiha, still looking relatively vacant as though his mind was focused elsewhere, responded by once again asking Hidan, "What was your source?"

With an almost mortified look at the prospect of Itachi's doubting the legitimacy of his intel, Hidan responded with, "I tapped a phone call. Zetsu and this guy. Voice scramblers so I couldn't make out who the other bloke was. Couldn't trace the call either- these guys are fucking skilled with their shit. But they were finalizing shit about moving someone else out of the fucking city- to some other location. They mentioned some 'island' shit."

"So you just _happened_ to listen in on a snippet of conversation between two people you very conveniently _couldn't_ recognise or trace?" Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised cynically.

"Don't worry, Hidan's intel is usually solid." Itachi said, dismissively.

"So, we look through everyone entering the city in the last fifty hours, no use narrowing it down to countries of origin seeing as they could easily have landed in another state and followed through to here if they thought they'd be tracked. Any other ways we could narrow the search?" Kisame asked, taking charge of bringing the discussion back to some solid plan of action.

"We're looking for someone who's travelling again out of city within a few days, likely travelling alone on the way in but with company the way out. Most probably a different destination in mind for the return trip- they could be using private transport, flag those ones. It's a start, I'll make enquiries elsewhere. Someone shadow Zetsu- don't get caught." Itachi's attention seemed to have returned to their objectives by threefold as he rattled off their next steps, finishing with a nod to Kakashi and closing their meeting, once again stressing the importance of anonymity as they left the old abandoned casino basement where they'd met for that particular night.

Kisame was one of the last to stand up to leave, the thought of inviting Itachi out to catch up for a while afterwards flitting in his mind before he felt his phone buzz in the pocket of his jacket.

Glancing around to check if anyone else had heard the notification, he pulled the device out, eyes scanning the lockscreen and frowning at the unidentified number attached to his message notification.

Nobody unknown was supposed to have that number.

Nodding to Hidan as the silver haired man walked out of the basement, heading towards creaky stairs, Kisame proceeded to open the message, reading it suspiciously, dubiously eyeing the subject matter.

 _I have information to offer that should interest your group.  
Don't leave the basement.  
Don't tell anyone.  
Any deal is off if Itachi or any of your other pals get to know.  
-S_

A moment of panic spread through him as he looked around almost jerkily, realising that someone entirely unknown to them was privvy to their meeting for which they had gone out of their way to remain undetected.

Was it a potential ally trying to reach out to them? Wishful thinking, more likely being someone with an agenda which may as well be a threat to everything they'd achieved till then.

"Are you coming, Kisame?" Itachi's voice attracted his attention as he watched the dark haired Uchiha standing near the base of the stairs, his white haired uncle looking down at them from further up the stairwell.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up with everyone later." Kisame called back, gesturing for the other men to leave already, a reassuring grin on his face as he sat back down to recline in his chair.

It was a split second decision to take up the anonymous text's offer. It could be a trap, of course, or a threat of some sorts. But his interest was piqued, and he felt a sneaking suspicion he'd inevitably regret not following up with said anonymous message if he left then.

Watching Itachi and Kakashi leave, Kisame found himself waiting in that dark, old casino room for almost half an hour thereafter. Bored to tears and on the verge of leaving, near dismissing the text as some prank or empty threat, he'd spent the last thirty minutes thinking of any possible way someone could have listened in on their conversations. The first idea coming to his mind was of course, the prospect of the room having been taped with cameras or audio recorders. But a quick scan and check had proved that impossible- especially considering the provisions they took to avoid being traced with their meetings.

The only other feasible option he'd thought of, was the consideration someone'd been watching them through the casino's old two way mirrors on the far side of the wall- the type of mirror which observers could see through from the other side. He'd ruled out the possibility initially, sure that Itachi's _abilities_ could identify immediately any unwanted presence in the building.

But Itachi had been a hair's breadth away from scatterbrained for a large part of the meeting, hadn't he? Could he have missed something?

The sound of sharp heels echoing against the bare concrete floors snapped his head up instantly, as he watched a shadowy figure emerge from the far end of the room, _from the mirrors he'd just been contemplating_.

"Kisame, I take it?" a smooth feminine voice further brought his attention to the figure, mind vaguely registering that she was approximately five foot seven, did not seem to be visibly armed from the looks of her dark professional suit and matching coat but could easily be carrying some form of hidden weapon.

His eyes rising to look at her face, he nearly did a double take as he took in the sight of long dark hair and commanding, crystalline blue eyes, with high cheekbones and pale skin which reminded him almost entirely of Arisa to begin with, before small subtle differences in their faces became more apparent to him. This woman was clearly older, not in the way of old age but more in the way of authority, she seemed to demand his attention with every supple step towards him, both in her seductive physique and her lithe stride.

"And you are?" he asked, deciding against standing up to greet her, hand hovering closer to the gun he'd left on the table.

"I believe you know me by the name 'Siren'" her response sounded, an almost amused note in her voice as she came to a stop three meters away from him, at the head of the table.

His hand instinctively clamped around the revolver, cocking the gun as he aimed at her feminine frame. Her hands equally well trained, had drawn her own smaller hand pistol from the folds of her coat faster than he could blink. "I suggest you put that down, Kisame. If I wanted to kill you I'd have done it half an hour ago." she said, the amused smile very much present as her voice took a condescending lilt.

"Why don't you stop fucking around and answer the question, who are you?" he said, his voice harsh as his gun remained firmly in place.

"Like your friend- Hidan, was it?- mentioned before, I'm in the 'circle', as your group so adorably puts it. Important and powerful, I think Siren should suffice. I'll let you be the judge of 'sexy' why not." she continued, a slight chuckle in her voice. The smile never reached her eyes as her voice proceeded to take on a sterner note, going on to say, "Put the gun down, Kisame. You'll want to hear what I have to say."

"And why should I trust anything you have to say?" he retorted, still cynical as he lowered his gun ever so slightly, careful to keep his weapon aimed at her torso.

"Well, I never said you should, did I? We want the same thing, and you can help me out for the intel I have for you. Its up to you if you believe me." she said, lowering her weapon till it pointed towards the table in front of them

He found himself fixed on her piercing blue eyes as she spoke, almost instinctively lowering his guard were it not for the fact that she's one of the very people they were working to bring down.

"What's your intel?" he asked, still guarded in his expression as he kept his eyes trained on her.

"Obito Uchiha"

"Sorry, _what_?"

"He's the man you're looking for. ' _Mask_ ' was it?"

"Bullshit"

"And what do I get from lying to you?"

"Obito's on our side. What wouldn't you get from sending us on a wild goose chase after one of our own?"

"Is he really? On your side?" she asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically as though his words were the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"No mind games goddamit!" he retorted, standing up abruptly, just about ready to leave.

"He's here to kill/capture Tsunade Senju. I'm pretty sure Itachi won't want that happening. And neither do I."

"And what proof do you have?"

"Just have a look into it, why not. You'll figure out for yourself I'm sure." she said, bringing a hand up to twirl her weapon skillfully around her finger before sliding it into its holster within the folds of her coat.

"Atleast tell me your name" He tried for one last attempt at finding out a little more about the enigmatic woman who'd appeared before him seemingly out of nowhere.

Taking several steps towards him, he felt her delicate soft hand rest on his larger, calloused, largely discoloured one as her soft touch relaxed his grip on his weapon almost involuntarily. "Don't tell anyone about this little _liaison,_ ne?"

Faster than he could blink, she'd left the room, not even the echo of her footfalls in the room, the only remnants of her presence there being the lingering warmth of her hand on his wrist.


End file.
